All right guys, we are entering the most boring stretch of the year to be a football fan, so i'll start yet another thread where we rank stuff.  This time, the value of the Jaguars 2017 NFL draft.  If this has already been discussed, let the flogging begin! I've been busy.  This is not a ranking of who will be best as a pro, but rather what value was best for the pick (round, need, position, talent, etc.)  I'll kick it off...

 

1) Cam Robinson - A potential upper echelon starting left tackle in the second round?  Sign me up!  Somebody pinch me when we finally get a stud LT. Fingers crossed.

 

2) Dede Westbrook - A character risk in the fourth, and a debatable need, but this is a passing league and go watch his tape!  Hopefully he's grown up.

 

3) Jalen Myrick - You can't teach speed, and because of this deep db class, getting this guy in the 7th at a position of need is phenomenal.

 

4) Leonard Fournette - The hardest one to place.  A phenomenal prospect at a position of need, which will also help Bortles and his struggles. But a RB at 4 is tough.

 

5) Dawuane Smoot - A talented guy joins a team at a position with a lot of talent. I love having deep talent on the DL and I have a good feeling about this kid.  Almost put him above Fournette but he comes with some questions after a scheme change and talent drop off as a senior.  I think 5 years from now we will love this pick.  Would he have been available in the fourth?  This will be a very interesting pick to watch.

 

6) Blair Brown - Fills a need, shows potential, has speed, good draft slot.  Very solid pick, just not sure what he turns into as a pro.

 

7) Marquez Williams - Fullback in the 7th, right where he should be.

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I'd list them a bit differently primarily because I think I might weigh need a bit differently than you do. 

My list of best "need meets value" draft picks are:

 

Robinson

Fournette

Smoot

Williams

Westbrook

Myrick

Brown

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People are crazy saying a running back at 4 is high. There is only two ways to move the football. In the air and on the ground. If you find an elite prospect who can check one of those boxes you take him. 

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People are crazy saying a running back at 4 is high. There is only two ways to move the football. In the air and on the ground. If you find an elite prospect who can check one of those boxes you take him.

But he'd better be an elite prospect if you take one that high. I think there are questions about that.

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People are crazy saying a running back at 4 is high. There is only two ways to move the football. In the air and on the ground. If you find an elite prospect who can check one of those boxes you take him. 

 

Yeah. Here's hoping he's elite. I'm not 100% sold on that. 

 

Im glad the Jags addressed the position and I'm rooting for him, but I have my doubts. 

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People are crazy saying a running back at 4 is high. There is only two ways to move the football. In the air and on the ground. If you find an elite prospect who can check one of those boxes you take him. 

 

If you are going to run zone concepts in your running game, like Alex Gibbs, it does not.  The Broncos had a slew of thousand yard backs after Terrell Davis retired and none of them were highly drafted.  Olandis Gary and Mike Anderson come to mind.

 

Clearly though, you don't draft Cam Robinson for a zone scheme.

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But he'd better be an elite prospect if you take one that high. I think there are questions about that.

Shouldnt any play at any position be an elite prospect if you take them at 4? I mean come on now, if its a QB, LT, CB, WR or what ever, they better be an elite prospect going at 4.

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<B><FONT color=cyan>Jags this is your year</FONT></B>

Shouldnt any play at any position be an elite prospect if you take them at 4? I mean come on now, if its a QB, LT, CB, WR or what ever, they better be an elite prospect going at 4.

 

Yeah - they should be.  The problem in the 2017 draft was that the top tier platers left on the board at the more common early positions selected (DE.DT,LT,QB, etc) had too many question marks.  That left the Jags RB, TE and DB to choose from essentially. 

 

Fournette has his own question mark as a prospect but is still considered elite by many.  Still there is a healthy percentage of professional and armchair scouts alike that see the whole "needs a runway/doesn't have wiggle" thing as a big chink in Fournette's armor.  Therefore making him a questionable pick at #4 overall to that set of onlookers - especially given his position and it's typical value in the draft. 

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<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Robinson

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Myrick

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Fournette

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Brown

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Williams

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Big Cliff

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Westbrook

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Giant pit

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Smoot 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I thought Smoot was one of the worst picks of the draft. Don't like the player or fit.

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Yeah. Here's hoping he's elite. I'm not 100% sold on that. 
 
Im glad the Jags addressed the position and I'm rooting for him, but I have my doubts.

I just don't understand. I'm almost 32 years old and I haven't seen a better rb prospect

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I just don't understand. I'm almost 32 years old and I haven't seen a better rb prospect

 

There's not much to understand. (because our opinions aren't incredibly far apart)

 

Even the vast majority of his "critics" think he's one of the best prospects to come out in a while -- they just see some potential for disappointment because he lacks the lateral agility of backs he's often compared to. 

 

He can't can't make guys miss at the LOS like AP or Fred T.  

But - neither can most backs that weigh in over 220 or so. It's a rare gift that few ever possess along with prototypical size. Unfortunately many of his fans seem to think he has that gift when he actually doesn't. 

 

I still feel good about the pick and think he's either  an "elite" prospect or really damn close to it. 

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There's not much to understand. (because our opinions aren't incredibly far apart)


Even the vast majority of his "critics" think he's one of the best prospects to come out in a while -- they just see some potential for disappointment because he lacks the lateral agility of backs he's often compared to.


He can't can't make guys miss at the LOS like AP or Fred T.

But - neither can most backs that weigh in over 220 or so. It's a rare gift that few ever possess along with prototypical size. Unfortunately many of his fans seem to think he has that gift when he actually doesn't.


I still feel good about the pick and think he's either an "elite" prospect or really damn close to it.

you have said that 3 times on this one page already lol. I wanted McCaffrey but Fournette is an elite prospect as well and fits what we want to do on offense. No prospect is ever flawless. With the power scheme we want to run it doesn't get a much better prospect that LF

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The good thing us I don't think our coaches will teach LF to try and make people miss at the LOS. We have Wheatley here now and hopefully they have learned from Yeldon and LF can get better and even stronger and run through them like Jerome Bettis used to do

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you have said that 3 times on this one page already lol. I wanted McCaffrey but Fournette is an elite prospect as well and fits what we want to do on offense. No prospect is ever flawless. With the power scheme we want to run it doesn't get a much better prospect that LF

LOL  - Yeah - sorry. I'm a bit of a broken record on Fournette when people question why I don't think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. 

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