(04-25-2022, 03:14 PM)iapetus Wrote:

(04-25-2022, 12:33 PM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote: We never take the "safe" pick.

Sure we do. Jalen Ramsey was the safe pick. So was Justin Blackmon. In 2013 they went safe, as Bleacher Report said:

"More importantly, they wouldn't have found a better value pick than Joeckel, who may be the best player of this draft class."

SB Nation agreed:

"Joeckel was our top-rated player in the draft this year"

Bucky Brooks gushed on NFL.com:

"BEST PICK: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
Jacksonville Jaguars, Round 1, No. 2 overall

The second overall pick should always be considered a "can't miss" prospect, but the Jaguars deserve credit for ignoring other pressing needs in favor of a cornerstone player for GM David Caldwell's rebuilding project."

Jalen Ramsey was a very long time ago. Justin Blackmon had all kinds of red flags coming into the draft. He was a safe pick, regarding his abilities, but he was a huge risk when it came to off the field stuff. 

People like to say Joeckel was a safe pick, but I couldn't disagree more I didn't have him in my top 15. I hated him coming into that draft. He was a typical Texas A&M OT, which mean't he was all finesse and lacked functional strength. He got beat by bull rushers in college and they destroyed him in the NFL. Back then, the Aggies kept churning out the same kind of OT over and over and none of them worked out.

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