Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley could have his pick of the draft's premier pass rushers with the third selection in May's draft, and he has good things to say about the top two guys.
Appearing Tuesday on "Schein on Sports" with NFL Media's Adam Schein on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio, Bradley praised South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Buffalo outside linebacker Khalil Mack.
Jacksonville's chances to get Mack seem infinitely better than its chances to nab Clowney, who is in play to be the first pick in the draft.
"Physically, his appearance, you don't see many guys that are built like him, with the size and the speed and the agility that he has," Bradley said of Clowney.
Clowney's motivation has been an issue with some analysts, but Bradley professes not to be worried.
"You're always looking for that guy that wants to be great, and I think that's what you try to find out in your conversations," Bradley said. "And that comes through him, I think, when you talk to him. He might need direction, but that's our job as a coaching staff. ...
"You just get a real sense that this guy wants to be great, and to surround him with players that know what it takes, I think, will be very beneficial for him. We always look at does he have enough humility to identify his weaknesses because, if he has that, you know he has a chance to get better. And I do sense humility from him."
Bradley also is impressed by Mack, who likely won't go any earlier than No. 3.
"He's one of those guys you feel like that's going to play for a long time; just extremely talented," Bradley said. "And I think if you're a 3-4 team, you look at him and you say, 'God, the guy can rush. He can drop.' There's so many different positions that you can put him in. ... I know that each team probably looks and says, 'We have a place for him, and he would fit in very nicely.' "
Along with Clowney and Mack at No. 3, Jacksonville also could be interested in wide receiver Sammy Watkins, offensive tackles Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews and a quarterback. Houston has the top pick and obviously will set the tone for the draft, but because St. Louis already owns another first-round pick, the Rams could be willing to trade the second pick. If the Texans grab a quarterback first, the Rams likely would be inundated with requests from teams that want Clowney.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
