(07-10-2021, 01:44 PM)Firesky Wrote:

(07-10-2021, 12:31 PM)Bullseye Wrote: Not sure if this topic ever arose. but it's still the dead zone, and I am jonesing for football, like Pookie from New Jack City going through withdrawals.

Not a pretty sight. folks.

But I was wondering based primarily on your feelings of the draft class before they played a down, which draft class did you like better, the 2020 or 2021 class?

To review, this is the 2020 class:

1-9  CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
1-20 K'Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU
2-42 Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado
3-73  DaVon Hamilton, NTm, Ohio State
4-116 Ben Bartch, G, St. John's (MN)
4-137 Josiah Scott, CB, Michigan St.
4-140 Shaquille Quarterman, LB, Miami (FL)
5-157 Daniel Thomas, S, Auburn
5-165 Collin Johnson, WR, Texas
6-189  Jake Luton, QB, Oregon St.223 Chris Claybrooks, CB, Memphis
6-206  Tyler Davis, TE, Georgia Tech
7-223 Chris Claybrooks, CB Memphis

and here is this year's class

1-1  Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
1-25 Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
2-33  Tyson Campbell, DB, Georgia
2-45 Walker Little, T, Stanford
3-65 Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse
4-106 Jay Tufele, DL, USC 
4-121 Jordan Smith, Edge, UAB
5-145 Luke Farrell, TE, Ohio State
6-209  Jalen Camp, WR. Georgia Tech

For several reasons, I would give the edge to this year's draft class.

1.  Trevor Lawrence.  He has been touted even by national observers as a generational QB prospect.  That possibility alone gives 2021 the edge.

2.  In terms of guys I liked in the first round, I didn't care for either first round pick last year.  Henderson was a fair prospect, but there were other guys I wanted above him.  I simply did not like the Chaisson pick at all.  Damn near everyone liked the Trevor Lawrence pick.  Conversely, damn near everyone hated the Etienne pick.  Though I preferred Teven Jenkins at that spot, I at least liked Etienne as a prospect.

3.  I also think the extra "premium" pick-the Walker Little pick due to the Ngakoue trade-gives 2021 another edge over last year.  Now we'll have to see whether Little gives us more impact for that pick, but just from a numerical perspective, 2 second round picks are better than one.

4,  Finally, this year's class addressed more premium positions (QB, LT, and CB) than 2929 (CB, Edge)

On the other hand, after the 4th round, I think the 2020 class fared better than this year's class.  Starting with the Jordan Smith pick, I wasn't impressed with this year's draft haul.  Last year, I at least felt good about Collin Johnson.  Also in terms of raw numbers overall, 12 picks are better than 9 picks.

Your thoughts?

Trevor Lawrence alone gives the edge to 2021. Henderson I liked, Chaisson I saw the logic based on potential and needing another edge rusher opposite Allen but would've preferred Patrick Queen there. I feel that Dave Caldwell was a needs based drafter almost to a fault, he had told us that when he came to Jacksonville and I really believe this team suffered for it.

The thing that breaks 2020 for me is that after the 3rd round it was hard to get excited about any of them ... they were all depth or developmental prospects. Like Bartch came from D3 and needed a year in a weightroom, Quarterman was depth and ST's, Thomas was a fine pick, Josiah Scott was a reach to premptively fill the hole at Nickel with Hayden having 1 year remaining under contract. Collin Johnson was going to be behind the guy they drafted in the 2nd round regardless.

The 2021 draft was executed with a vision. I see that they wanted to add speed and blue chip talent. They tried to get immense value out of each pick: Etienne (RB in the first round aside; dude was the most dangerous playmaker left in the draft at that point), Little being a top 10 pick LT consensus pre injury/Covid; Cisco being talked about as a late first rounder pre-ACL tear; Tufele slipping from 2nd/3rd to 4th due to opting out. The only pick I wasn't terribly high on was Tyson Campbell at #33.

Also for the posters saying that they wanted Justin Jefferson at pick #9 .... i'm sorry but you're all liars I heard discussion about him for our pick #20 but NO ONE thought he was going top 10 pre-draft unless they're an LSU fan. also if every pick in 2021 busts except Trevor it's still a better draft than 2020.

Agreed.

I think it's about as close to universal as anything could get among Jag nation, but TL alone tips the balance between the two classes.

As for the latter portion of the 2020 draft class, the quality really seemed to fall off in the 4th round, though the 5th looks a bit more promising.  This year, after the first three picks, the operative word was risk.

I share your recollection of the pre draft talk regarding Jefferson.  While there were some who had him as a first rounder, I don't recall anybody advocating him at #9 overall.

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