The Jaguars suffered a crushing setback on Friday when Dante Fowler Jr., the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, suffered a torn ACL in his first practice with the team. Fowler's rookie season is over before it started, the latest bitter disappointment for a team that has gained little from five consecutive top-10 picks.
A look back ...
2014: Blake Bortles (No. 3 overall)
Bortles struggled as a rookie playing behind a subpar offensive line and lackluster supporting cast. Bortles' numbers were brutal: He had the third-worst total QBR among rookie quarterbacks since 2006, according to ESPN's Mike Sando, and his mechanics eroded to the point that he necessitated a complete rebuild this offseason. There's still plenty of promise, but Year One was cause for concern.
2013: Luke Joeckel (No. 2 overall)
An alarming nugget, courtesy of The Florida-Times Union: Since 2013 (when Joeckel entered the starting lineup) the Jaguars have rushed for the second-fewest yards (2,893) and have given up the most sacks (121) in the NFL. Joeckel's been a liability, ranking 67th out of 84 tackles in Pro Football Focus' rankings. Joeckel hopes a larger frame -- he's up from 311 pounds from 298 -- will allow him to win some more trench battles.
2012: Justin Blackmon (No. 5 overall)
Blackmon was arrested for extreme DUI weeks into his Jaguars career, a sign of things to come. Blackmon was suspended indefinitely for a second violation of the league's substance abuse policy in Nov. 2013 and hasn't sniffed the field since. The sad story is nothing new for the Jags. Three other first-round picks -- R. Jay Soward (2000), Reggie Williams (2004) and Matt Jones (2005) -- had their careers derailed by substance-abuse issues.
2011: Blaine Gabbert (No. 10 overall)
The Jaguars believed Gabbert was a franchise quarterback, but the former Missouri star never could reward their faith. Gabbert went 5-22 as a starter over three seasons, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt and posting a passer rating of 66.4. He was traded to the 49ers for a sixth-rounder last year. That is what you call poor return on investment.
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