Jacksonville Jaguars Fan Forums

For years, the AFC South has been derided by fans and observers from outside the division as the weakest division in the NFL.  But let me say, after the first two days of this draft, those days are over.  I think two teams-Tennessee and Jacksonville-used this draft to effectively create and galvanize definite team identities.  Houston did to a lesser extent.  Here's why:

 

1.  Tennessee used the windfall from the trade with the Rams to become a physical, run the ball and stop the run type of team.  I think Conklin is a big, physical guy who should fit in nicely at RT.  Though I think he'll eventually have to lose some weight and take time to adjust, Dodd should be able to hold up nicely at the point of attack against TEs and tackles as well as proviide upgraded pass rush ability over Morgan.   I have not been a fan of Penn State linemen over the years, especially DTs, but Johnson seems to be cut from a different cloth.  At 325 or so, he should give the tacks the NT they need to effectively run that scheme.  Finally, the tacks added RB Derrick Henry to the acquisition of RB Demarco Murray to give the tacks an impressive 1-2 punch in the backfield.  The combo of their O-Line and those RBs should mke Tennessee a tough offense to stop.  Even if you don't think Mariota will be special, the running game should be good enough to augment his amazing mobility and take pressure off of him.  

 

2.  Jacksonville, on the other hand, is establishing itself as a flashy, explosive and speed based team on both sides of the ball.  The offense has already established itself as having explosive potential and with an additional year in the system, they should only build upon that.  But the defense has gotten a dramatic infusion of speed and ability.  Jalen Ramsey has world class speed, good size and strength, and was considered by most observers to be one of the top 3 defenders in this draft.  He was considered by most to be a steal at 5, if that's possible.  Pre knee scare, another guy battling Ramsey for consideration as the best defender in this draft was Myles Jack.  He is perhaps the prototype of the modern LB/SS hybrid.  He has successfully covered slot receivers from his LB position, can go sideline to sideline, and is even strong enough to take on guards.  The 3rd round pick is another speed rusher.  Added with last year's first round pick, Dante Fowler, the defense has received a significant infusion of speed and athleticism on each level of the defense. 

 

3.  I am less impressed with the draft hauls of the other two AFC South teams, Indy and Houston.  I think both got outstanding centers, Kelly with the Colts and Martin with Houston-guys I wanted.  But Houston continues to chase a viable WR opposite Hopkins by drafting Fuller in the 1st and Miller in the 3rd, putting Cecil Shots and Jaelen Strong on notice.  If Houston hits on those two guys, they should be able to implement  that spread type, New England style of passing attack Bill O'Brien brought with him from New England, but I have my doubts about them.  At a basic level, it usually takes rookie receivers a while to adjust to the pro game.  But with Miller, he newly switched to receiver.  He has extra refinement needed to his game

 

4.  Finally, I'm not sold on Indy's picks outside of Kelly.  I know they needed linemen to protect Luck, but I don't think Clark is the answer.  I also don't care for the TJ Green pick.  They could have gotten him later.  However, with a healthy Luck, the Colts are a better team than they were last year.

 

By the end of yesterday, this division-especially the bottom of the division-got much stronger, more athletic, and more physical than it was last year. 

 

Your thoughts?

 

I think the AFCSouth has just gotten much more competitive. I agree with your assesments, I think Jax has had the best draft so far, followed closely by Tennessee and then Houston with Indy bringing in the rear.


Excited to see how it wraps up today.

From worst to best:

Indianapolis Colts

They're finally protecting Andrew Luck, but let's not forget they had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year.  This was a good draft for Defensive Players too.  And they only took one in the first three rounds.  

Houston Texans

They're going WR heavy.  DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, Braxton Miller. Pretty good WR corps.  They want to get Osweiller weapons, but I don't think Osweiller is the answer for them at QB.  Of course they can just take a QB next year, but WR's are a dime a dozen.  Honestly not a terrible draft, but too WR heavy IMO.

 

Tennessee Titans

A solid draft from the tacks.  Not a huge fan of their first round pick, but after that they've been very solid.  

Jacksonville Jaguars

Myles Jack + Jalen Ramsey.  And we didn't even trade a 2017 pick.  Myles Jack is easily worth a 2nd and 5th round pick.  Our defense will not be the same as last year.  

 

I think the tacks have done well... but not as good as they could have done given their position and picks.


I agree with the Doctor, Houston is drafting a lot of WRs.

I thought the Texans had a decent draft.  Fuller is a good player and will be a nice compliment to Hopkins.  

 

I thought the tacks were drafting well for what they want to do, I just don't think it is a good plan in the modern NFL, but that is who Mularkey is.

 

Indy's draft was forgettable.  I like the Kelly pick.

oops 

Protect Luck and everything else will fall into place for the Colts. Their defense has some nice pieces here and there but I'd be pretty confident of putting points on them with ease next year.

Texans got a lot of speed but I don't see Fuller/Miller amounting to much.

Titans had a solid draft. Love Byard.

Question is did the Colts do enough to protect him?

 

Kelly helps, but I dunno about Clark.  No pass rushers for them until the 6th round.

 

As for the Texans, I heard Hopkins was quoted as saying "No more double teams."

 

I think if Ramsey is what we think he is, we won't NEED to double team Hopkins.

Questions yet to be answered:

 

Do the Jaguars yet have an answer for the Texans pass rush?

 

How long can Mathis be a viable pass rusher for the Colts?

 

What will the Colts do for a running game?

 

Can the Texans have a viable target opposite Hopkins with rookie WRs?

I'm confused how one of the CBS Sports columnists ranked Houston's draft higher than the Jags?

 

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-d...ight-calls

Quote:Houston Texans
Given the big investments in Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller, as well as the extraordinary body control of No. 1 receiver DeAndre Hopkins, first round pick Will Fuller should prove the perfect vertical threat complement. Houston only reinforced their splashy offseason with the selection of steady interior offensive lineman Nick Martin in the second round, silky smooth athlete Braxton Miller in the third and my favorite third down receiving specialist running back Tyler Ervin in the fourth.

When was the last time an offense in the NFL was so dramatically different in just one offseason? Watch out for heavy-hitting safety K.J. Dillon and developmental nose guard D.J. Reader to surprise, as well. I'm not as high as some on Fuller but there are some terrific schematic fits here for the Texans, earning them one of the top grades this year. 
Grade: A


Jacksonville Jaguars
For the third consecutive year, the Jaguars were able to remain in-state and nab a future star with Jalen Ramsey, who is an ideal fit as a press corner in coach Gus Bradley's scheme. The Jaguars look ready to pounce in 2016 with Ramsey being reinforced with stellar outside linebacker Myles Jack, who the Jaguars investigated thoroughly prior to the draft and traded up in the second round after the UCLA's product's dramatic fall.

Add in classic LEO defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue and Tyrone Holmes and three-technique defensive tackle Sheldon Day and the Jaguars once again are big winners... at least in April. If Jack proves healthy, this is the kind of draft that could push Jacksonville into the playoffs. 
Grade: A-

I can't believe anybody ranked Houston higher than Jacksonville.

The Jaguars definitely had the best draft, probably in the whole league not just division. Ramsey, Jack, and all your later round picks that y'all basically had fall to your laps? Yeah, the defense looks terrifying and the offense has potential. your draft is definitely an A+.


I rank the Texans next, but not because I'm being a homer and think that the Titans didn't draft well. It's because O'Brien and Smith said that they would overhaul the offense and finally add speed no matter what, and they did just that. They were very bold and aggressive, even though trading up a couple of spots twice seemed dumb to a lot of people, I liked it because it showed that OB and Smith intended to get the guys they wanted and they refused to be undermined no matter what. I liked the Fuller pick mainly because it's nice that opposing defenses won't always be able to stack the box with both safeties or double team Hopkins anymore, which was a huge issue for us last season. His hands are concerning, but that could improve over time. Martin should solidify the line and I think Braxton was a weird, bold pick, but he does have tremendous upside and is fiery so he could be at least a dangerous returner starting off. We maybe could have tried harder to look for a DE opposite Watt, but it's still hard to complain about a faster offense. Now it's all up to Brock. I give ours a B+.


The Titans had a solid draft, though I feel like Conklin was a reach. He'll be good, but still a reach. The Titans obviously wouldn't have considered him if there wasn't so much controversy with Tunsil, and they clearly panicked believing that a good Tackle wouldn't be available later. Kevin Dodd could be a dangerous threat on defense, though his character concerns could be an issue. Henry was a bold pick, and he does make a potentially formidable duo with Murray. It does make you question if they are really confident in Murray though. Im not as high on their draft as some of you are, but they still did solid and they could be interesting if Mariota proves last season's spurts of explosive plays weren't a fluke. I give them a B.


The Colts had a mostly subpar draft IMO. Yes they finally drafted some linemen to give Luck actual protection, but they really needed to try and grab some defensive playmakers. Right now they easily look like the most imbalanced team in the division, and if it wasn't for Luck being as good as he is I think the Colts would very likely be the worst team in the division at this point. They may still be the slight favorites to win the division if Luck stays healthy, but the gap is closing real fast. I give them a C+/fringe B-.

Quote:Question is did the Colts do enough to protect him?

 

Kelly helps, but I dunno about Clark.  No pass rushers for them until the 6th round.

 

As for the Texans, I heard Hopkins was quoted as saying "No more double teams."

 

I think if Ramsey is what we think he is, we won't NEED to double team Hopkins.

Should be interesting to see. Hopkins is good enough to win most one on one coverages, but Ramsey does look like a beast.


When we play you guys, I imagine we'll be running 4 WR sets quite often. OB will probably try to play a "pick your poison" game with Bradley, which could be fun to watch. Assuming our line keeps Brock upright and Brock actually pans out.

Bobizzle,

 

Were there any signs the Texans soured on last year's 3rd round pick Jaelen Strong before the draft?

Can Indy keep Ryan Grigson forever?

Quote:Should be interesting to see. Hopkins is good enough to win most one on one coverages, but Ramsey does look like a beast.


When we play you guys, I imagine we'll be running 4 WR sets quite often. OB will probably try to play a "pick your poison" game with Bradley, which could be fun to watch. Assuming our line keeps Brock upright and Brock actually pans out.

 

There's the problem, he's a backup level QB. Lining up more options out wide for him won't improve his performance if he has to actually make any reads. I foresee a lot of bubble screens and quick slants behind offensive pass interferences from the texans coming up when the texans line up four wide.

 

The good news for texans fans is they still get another year of playing against the Jaguars under coach Gus, who thus far hasn't shown he has any ability to coach anyone up at all, so even though the Jaguars are obviously the most all around talented team in the division I could easily see them going .500 or below, which should get the Gus Bus pulled over and impounded.

I sure hope so.

 

I hope a healthy Luck will have the Colts win just enough to keep Grigson on, but not enough to win any championships or division titles.

Quote:Bobizzle,

 

Were there any signs the Texans soured on last year's 3rd round pick Jaelen Strong before the draft?

Did you watch hard knocks? He struggled big time in camp and probably wouldn't have made the team had he not been a high draft pick. He made a few plays during the season that I seen, but with the way they drafted they probably don't think he's the answer.