I want to revisit the value discussion.

 

The consensus seems to be that the Jaguars did a great job in the draft and got value with the picks.

 

How much value?

 

Well, if you examine each pick when it was made and compare it to where the player was widely projected to go, you will see how much value we got.

 

1.  Bortles-For some reason, people thought Bortles was a reach.  But most projections actually had him as a top ten pick, with the USA Today draft publication projecting him to be selected 4th overall.  Speculation in April had him possibly going to Houston #1 overall because of the connections with Bill O' Brien.  Let's call it even. (0)

 

2.  Lee-The consensus is Lee is a first round talent that inexplicably fell to the second round.  Both USA today and Lindy's/NFL DraftScout.com had a first round grade on him.  The commentators on NFL Network said the same thing.  We got in in the second.  A 1 round difference. (+1)

 

2A. Robinson-Most of the projections I saw of him had him as a 2nd round pick.  At least one had him as a 1st round pick (USAToday projected him to go to Carolina at 28).  Lindy's/NFLDraftscout had him as a 2nd round pick, ranking him 34th out of the top 100 players and projected him to go 35th to Cleveland.  We got him at around 63, IIRC.  We'll call this a half round gain (+.5)

 

3.  Linder-Based upon what I've seen of him, Linder was not highly regarded.  Lindy's/NFLDraftScout.com had him as a 5th-6th round pick  USAToday didn't have him that high.  GBN Report had him rated 184th overall, which would put him in the 5th or 6th round.  Let's say this was a reach and lost two rounds (-2).

 

4.  Colvin-Colvin was widely regarded as a late first/early 2nd round pick prior to his injury, and seemingly every analyst offering an opinion of the pick said the same thing.  Charley Casserly lauded the pick afterwards.  Even with the injury, USAToday had him with a 3rd to 4th round pick.  Call it "even" for now...with the potential to be much higher. (0)

 

5.  T. Smith-NFLDraftScout.com ranked him as a 2nd round pick at the time of the draft preview mag.  USA today had him in the 4th or 5th round.  GBN report had him listed 103rd overall, which translates to a high 4th round pick.We landed him in the 5th round.  Let's call it (+1)

 

5A-C. Smith-Nfldraftscout had him rated as a 3rd round pick, and USAToday had him as a late 2/early 3rd round pick.  GBN listed him as the 94th best player, which translates into a late 3rd round pick.  We landed him in the late 5th round.  Let's call that a savings of 2 rounds (+2).

 

6.  Bowanko-I've got nothing.

 

7.  Storm Johnson-Mayock had him as a 4th round pick.  NFLdraftscout had him 5th-6th round.  USA Today had him as a 4th-5th round pick.  We got him in the 7th.  Let's say at least a +2 for Storm Johnson.

 

UDFA

 

Rashaud Reynolds & Marcel Jensen-at the end of the NFL draft, Mayock listed his best remaining available players.  Both of these guys had 4th round grades by Mayock.  USA Today listed Jensen as a 5th-6th round pick, while NFLDraftscout listed him as a 5th round pick.  Reynolds got a 4th round grade from nfldraftscout.com and a 4-5th round grade from USA today. 

 

Reynolds (+3.5)

Jensen (+2)

 

To me, that shows a ton of value on a pick by pick basis with the skill players.

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