Luke Joeckel was a terrific draft pick. He was clearly the best OT in the draft. Let's not scoff in the rear-view mirror. Luke didn't "fool" scouts. He impressed them. He was a perfect combination of talent, THE star offensive lineman coming off one of the most professional-looking offensive lines in recent college football history. As a Texas A&M sophomore, Joeckel was a mainstay of an offensive line that in 13 games yielded only nine sacks on quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who set all sorts of Aggies' records in passing and total offense in 2011.

Texas A&M football during the 'Johnny Football' era featured an offensive which predominantly utilized no more than five linemen to protect Manziel in the backfield. The didn't use RBs, FBs, and TEs to provide pass protection. They didn't need to. The task of improvising along with Manziel's darts, dives, and dekes made Texa A&M blockers' exception talents stand out.

It was very clear Joeckel was exceptionally talented. He won the 2012 Outland Trophy the award for the nation's best offensive lineman in college football. There's little doubt Luke was coaxed to declare for the NFL draft. He was pegged as the top offensive lineman and projected to be the number one over-all pick if he decided to leave college. When he left Texas A&M he was replaced at LT by future Atlanta Falcons' star, Jake Matthews.

Joeckel was drafted second over-all in the 2013 NFL draft. Let's not pretend that Joeckel didn't earn a promotion to starting tackle. He didn't fool anybody at all. What he did do for us is make LT Eugene Monroe very very nervous. I recall the apex of that pressure collimated in a film clip of Luke Joeckel taking Colts' DE Robert Mathis up into the air and body slamming him to the turf. 

People got their feathers ruffled when David Caldwell decided to vacate Eugene Monroe by moving Luke Joeckel to left tackle. Monroe had to be moved from the team due to his unwillingness to switch positions at the request of the coaches and front office. This jolt to Monroe and his fans was never over-come. Joeckel would face tons of passive aggressive behavior coming from the arrogant local media, who each year have their own designs on Jacksonville Jaguars' personnel changes, and the resulting misguided, ill-informed Jaguars' fans.

Unfortunately, Luke sustained a severely broken ankle in his first start on the left side. He never seemed to be the same tackle after that. Then again, Joeckel never gained support or at least never became the subject of thoughtful and considerate manners as he dealt with the ankle screwed and bolted back together. Nobody in Jacksonville ever gave Joeckel a break. 

Even that thimble-rigged trash site, Pro Football focus, piled on poor Luke, calling him the worst offensive tackle in the NFL in 2014, claiming he surrendered eight quarterback sacks. To this day it amaze me that any football fan would shamelessly adhere to their absurdly maudlin viciousness. They are absolutely sans media accountability and to note they offered NO EXPLANATION ABOUT THE OTHER SIXTY-THREE SACKS GIVEN UP IN 2014.  

It's very sad that we're to the point that a guy that actually played the game against the absolute best pass rushers in the league twice a season, actually endured the media and certain misguided fans daily beating him down, for them to claim he NEVER ROSE TO MANHOOD?

This would contrast horribly against the biased media and outspoken rabid fans as in time when a former Florida Gator, Dante Fowler, Jr. snapped his knee on the very first play of his first practice, three days of black flags and dark crepe paper festooning adorned the Modis facilities near Main. 

Joeckel is Old Yeller here. 

It's just insane to suggest Joeckel might be re-signed. He had to go. Every corrupt play called by inept, incompetent offensive coordinator(s), every half-effort by indifferent players here for a paycheck, every swinging gate on the offensive line scrub had their day. But I understand we Jaguars' fans are at a lost to comprehend the enmity STILL lurching at Luke Joeckel.

Luke Joeckel was NEVER given a first chance in Jacksonville. What makes one think he can get a second?

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