By LeftwichQB7
Published: April 28, 2005 PrintEmail
Ah, it twas' the day of the draft, and it was what us football fans had been waiting for since the season had come to it's conclusion for the NFL as a whole, and our team alone. Going into the draft the very large majority of Jag Nation thought we were going CB in the first round but, we had gotten otherwise. This is the beginning...
First Round: Matt Jones (QB/WR-Arkansas)
Coming into the draft he was said to be a late first rounder to an early second. After he was drafted he was considered to be a reach but, lets take an in-depth look at Matt:
~6'6 245 lbs.
~Great long snapper
~Miami, LSU, Oklahoma and Ohio all wanted him to play WR. But, he wanted to play for his home state.
~Fastest 10 and 20 yard dash of any receiver(quickness off line)
~2nd fastest 40 for wide outs
(Jerome Mathis was faster
but, you gotta' remember the size differential)
~There is a great possibility that no corner in the NFL that could jam him at the line.
~9 1/2 inch hands
~Great hand-eye coordination
~Can get the ball at 11 feet in the air.
~His vertical jumps at the combine were: 39, 40, and 42
~Runs a sub 4.4
~Great hands
He is said to be a project but, the man is one of the best athletes ever to come into the NFL. If you may or may not know, the Eagles tried to trade up THREE times to draft the guy. The only knock off about him is that he hasn't played WR since highschool but, even then he was being recruited as a WR. Most of his WR skills are still there we just need to repolish em'.
Round Two:Khalif Barnes (OT-Washington)
The Jaguars lost Mike Pearson at LT last year substaining a hyper extension in the ACL in his knee. Pearson was a junior when he was drafted and this will be his 3rd year but, after an ACL injury as severe as his was the Jags are not sure if he'll ever be back to 100% and with an ACL it is nearly impossible to come back at 100% especially with an injury as severe as this. It could end up being the downfall to his career.
This is why we drafted Barnes they are saying Pearson is having a speedy recovery but, Barnes provides depth as of now. Pearson may never be like he once was, and who knows maybe he'll play as bad as Ephraim Salaam did this past season and Jag fans run and hide their face in horror when his name is spoken. Barnes could possibly play as a rookie depending on Pearson's play or in case of injury.
Positives:
~6'6, 305 lb. OT.
~Amazing athletic ability for his position/size
~Has great footwork
~Very quick and agile
~Long arms
~Very experienced and a team leader
~Has alot of upside.
Negatives:
~Not as good in the running game as you'd like
~Could possibly get a bit stronger
~Plays too high at times
Other than that, he is a great talent and worthy of our 2nd round draft pick.
Round Three:Scott Starks(CB-Wisconsin)
Well, with the Jags cutting Juran Bolden and Dewayne Washington it gave reason for us to believe we were going CB in the first. As our LCB we have Rashean Mathis who was a 2nd year player this past season and had better statistics than Patrick Surtain. But, with that being said, we do not have a "for sure" RCB. The Jags have recently signed veterans Terry Cousin & Kenn Wright in FA. Kiwaukee Thomas (most likely will be 3rd or 4th CB) is a vet also. Chris Thompson and David Richard both showed promise as rookies in 04'. Starks joins these CB's as for who will compete for the Jaguars' RCB job.
Positives:
~Sub 4.4 speed
~Plays above his size
~He's tough and very competitive
~He excelled in special teams at Wisconsin
~Can come up and support the run
~Great leader at Wisconsin
~If you remember, he was the player who not only caused Kyle Orten to fumble that football but, he then picked it up and returned it for a touchdown. That right there is an example of what he can do.
Negatives:
~Only 5'8 & 177 lbs. He obviously needs to add on some bulk.
~Will have trouble covering the bigger and more physical corners in the NFL
~Upside may be limited and could possibly turn into a nickel corner.
Round 4:Alvin Pearman(RB-Virginia)
With the first pick of the second day of the draft we selected running back, Alvin Pearman. Fred Taylor is recovering from offseason knee surgery and not likely practice with the team this spring. So, the Jags turned to RB. He rushed for 1,037 yards and caught 29 passes for 402 yards this past season at Virginia. He has easily proven he can carry the load and can provide some more depth at the RB position.
Positives:
~Has shown he can carry the load.
~Is very versatile, he can catch the ball as well as he can run
~Has excellent vision
~Quick-footed, has a slashing style
~Very good receiver who possesses soft hands
~Is a solid blocker
~Could be very well suited as a third-down back
Negatives:
~Not a very strong ball carrier
~4.67 40 time. He usually won't cut the corner on you, and won't beat defenders in a foot race.
Round 5:Gerald Sensabaugh(Safety-North Carolina)
The Jaguars didn't need a saftey but, with this being the 5th round and a guy of Sensabaugh's talent still on the board, the Jags couldn't pass him up. He was mainly drafted due to his athletic ability. He's also a productive and most importantly physical player which as we like to call a "Jack Player".
Positives:
~Very Physical
~Ran a 4.5 40.
~Had an incredible vertical of 46 inches.
~Has good size at 6'0 1/2 210 lbs.
~Very productive throughout his career.
~Best defends against the run
~Great special teams player
Negatives:
~Lacking Technique
~Doesn't have a great burst
~Only had one year of top notch collegiate competition (transfered from East Tennessee)
~Struggles in coverage
Round 6:Chad Owens (WR-Hawaii)
The Jaguars had targeted Chad Owens as a player who would address the team's need for a kick-returner. They waited five rounds and they felt that the time was right to draft Owens. “He's an electrifying returner. He's really exciting to watch. I don't know if any of our scouts have seen him fair-catch the ball,” Del Rio said of Chad Owens.
Positives:
~Great return man
~Has a good sense of timing at WR
~Has very good hand eye coordination
~Good hands
~Has very good agility
Negatives:
~Doesn't have too good of size (5'7 183 lbs)
~Not too great of speed (4.7 40)
Round 6:Pat Thomas (LB-NC State)
Del Rio has wanted some more depth at LB and this is where Pat Thomas comes in. “He's a run-and-hit guy. On our list, he was prominent,” Del Rio said of Thomas. Thomas was a productive player at N.C. State and he caught the Jaguars' eye, despite of not being invited to the scouting combine. He has good size at about 6'2 and 240 lbs. One of the best LB's in the ACC when he played at NC State. Del Rio also said, “We think he can play inside or outside.” He grew up in Florida so, he's coming back home which is a plus well, atleast in his mind.
Round 7:Chris Roberson (CB-Eastern Michigan)
JDR said at the end of day one of the draft, that he wanted to add speed to the roster and he did that with the drafting of Crhis Roberson. “Speed; one year at the position,” Del Rio said in describing his final pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. “He's got Jaguar traits. He's physical, aggressive. We believe he has a lot of upside. He's a good prospect.”
Positives:
~Has good size at 5'11 and 185 lbs.
~Ran a 4.33 in the 40.
~A physical & aggresive player
~Shows upside with his talent level
Negatives:
~Switched from WR to CB last season. So, that indicates some things.
Well, I hope yall enjoyed the article. I've been gone for awhile so, I decided to return by writing an article.
Ah, it twas' the day of the draft, and it was what us football fans had been waiting for since the season had come to it's conclusion for the NFL as a whole, and our team alone. Going into the draft the very large majority of Jag Nation thought we were going CB in the first round but, we had gotten otherwise. This is the beginning...
