Some people thought defensive back
Jalen Ramsey wouldn't be around when the
Jaguars used the fifth overall pick. Even more questioned what would happen to linebacker
Myles Jack when concerns about his knee continued to pop up. But if
Ramsey is as good as advertised and Jack can stay healthy, head coach Gus Bradley will be a happy man for a long time. Both players are extremely athletic and versatile. Add them to a team that finally gets its first-round pick from last season on the field (defensive end
Dante Fowler Jr.) and also acquired some young defensive talent in free agency (defensive lineman
Malik Jackson and safety
Tashaun Gipson), and it's easy to see Jacksonville as a much-improved team this fall.
I'll know the official answer in February, but two days after the draft, I'll give this one to the
Tennessee Titans. Their first four picks (OT
Jack Conklin, LB
Kevin Dodd, DT
Austin Johnson and RB
Derrick Henry) were all potential first-round selections and add talent on both sides of the ball. These are four guys who will grow together and have major potential to help the
Titans move up in the AFC South.
I think both the
Minnesota Vikings and
Jacksonville Jaguars really did well. In
Laquon Treadwell, the
Vikings landed the No. 1 receiver they sorely needed. Treadwell will be a Michael Irvin-type wideout. He's a great hands catcher and will help a lot with blocking for
Adrian Peterson.
Mackensie Alexander didn't have an interception in two years at Clemson, but also didn't allow a touchdown in his final 23 collegiate games. In the fourth round, the
Vikings selected Western Michigan OT
Willie Beavers, who was a good value pick and could develop into a starting lineman.
The
Jaguars are pretty good on offense, and I think they really strengthened themselves on defense with the selections of
Jalen Ramsey and
Myles Jack. If Jack is even 90 percent healthy, he has a chance to be the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The
Jaguars also picked Maryland DE
Yannick Ngakoue (who was
tied for second in FBS in sacks in 2015) and Montana LB
Tyrone Holmes (who led the FCS with 18 sacks in 2015). The
Jaguars needed these types of players and didn't get out of line in selecting them.
The
Cleveland Browns moved back in the draft enough to accumulate 14 draft picks -- the most of any team -- and got plenty of value with most of them. Yes, they could have had
Carson Wentz at quarterback had they just sat tight with the No. 2 overall pick, but the alternative was the chance to help the club in many more ways.
Receiver
Corey Coleman and defensive end
Emmanuel Ogbah should make immediate impacts, while outside linebacker
Joe Schobert could develop into one of the draft's true steals on the defensive side of the ball.
Anytime a team can draft two top-five talents while addressing needs, that's the absolute best outcome. The
Jaguars accomplished that in selecting CB
Jalen Ramsey in the first round and LB
Myles Jack in the second.
In Rounds 3 through 7, the team picked up a plethora of players to beef up the pass rush. Third- and fourth-round picks
Yannick Ngakoue and
Sheldon Day will help with the pass rush immensely. This defense just got a lot better over the weekend.
The
Titans picked up an extra first-round pick next year. They also picked up three to four starters for
this year.
Jack Conklin will start at right tackle.
Kevin Dodd will be an immediate help in the pass rush.
Austin Johnson has starter ability at nose tackle. And I believe
Derrick Henry will beat out
DeMarco Murray at some point in the coming season to start at running back.
The
Jaguars upgraded their defense significantly by landing a pair of top-five prospects in
Jalen Ramsey and
Myles Jack. Those two will add tremendous athleticism and speed to the defense. The Jags also fortified their front line to have a deeper and more athletic rotation, which should translate to getting more sacks.
Last year's offense could score points with anybody, so the defense just needs to creep up to the middle of the pack. And with the weapons added in the offseason, Jacksonville should be able to do that. This new defense could help guide the
Jaguars to an AFC South title.
The
Jaguars selected two of the most complete players in this year's draft with
Jalen Ramsey and
Myles Jack (if he can stay healthy). Jack trained with Brett Fischer, who I trained with when I was in the NFL, and he thinks the linebacker is going to be amazing the minute he steps on the field. Those two picks alone set the
Jaguars apart, but they also add
Dante Fowler Jr. back in the mix after sitting out his rookie season
with a knee injury. This team is adding three first-round talents to their defense this season. This is a no-brainer -- Jacksonville won the draft by far.
