For all the talk about fit and how a player's skill set matches up with a team's scheme and personnel, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes the discussion is much simpler than that, at least when it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the quarterback they should be targeting with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.
Friday on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft," Jeremiah tied one of this year's top quarterbacks to the Jaguars, and not necessarily because of a specific skill he possesses.
"In my opinion, the best fit is the best quarterback, and that's Teddy Bridgewater in this draft class," Jeremiah said. "He comes out of a pro system at Louisville. I've seen him under center. I know what I'm getting with him.
"This Jacksonville Jaguars offense needs a consistent football player," he said. "He's the most ready-made to play, and that's why he's the best fit for Jacksonville."
Jeremiah's assessment lines up with NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock, who ranks Bridgewater as his top quarterback and also calls him the most "NFL-ready" QB in the draft.
In his updated list of the biggest draft needs for all 32 teams, Jeremiah says quarterback should be the Jaguars' top priority in the draft, especially after they addressed their need for a stronger defensive front in free agency this week, signing Jason Babin, Chris Clemsons, Red Bryant and Ziggy Hood.
The Jaguars also recently re-signed veteran quarterback Chad Henne, but Jeremiah said he doesn't believe the team is sold on him as a long-term solution.
While NFL Media analyst Charles Davis agrees the Jaguars should target a QB with the third pick, he likes another top-rated prospect better and cites fit as a reason.
"Look at the division they play in the AFC South," Davis said. "You've got Robert Mathis chasing down quarterbacks, from Indianapolis. J.J. Watt from Houston. So I think I need a guy with some pocket presence, and the guy who has the best pocket presence out of the three we're talking about is Johnny Manziel.
"He doesn't have a sixth sense back there," Davis said. "He has a seventh and an eighth."
Manziel's play in the pocket has been a topic of debate among some experts. Mayock has cited it as a weakness in his game, whereas former NFL coach Jon Gruden is sold on Manziel's ability to become a pocket passer, albeit one who isn't "pure in the pocket."
Davis also pointed to the Jaguars' lack of a consistent running game and said the team will need a quarterback who will be able to create plays on his own -- a Johnny Football specialty. The team is expected to lose Maurice Jones-Drew to free agency and recently acquired an unproven running back in Toby Gerhart.
Whether Bridgewater or Manziel will be available at the No. 3 pick depends, of course, on how the first two picks of the draft play out. Most NFL.com analysts believe the Houston Texans will select former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick, but Jeremiah lists QB as one of the team's top draft needs.
NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt also lists Bridgewater and Manziel as two of his nine players worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick.
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