A Series of Unfortunate Events: A History of the Jaguars' 1st Round Draft Picks, Part2

2/14/2016

Rankings the Jaguars first round picks from 15-11

By Jordan de Lugo

PRESENTED BY

15. Renaldo Wynn. DE. Notre Dame (1997) - Wynn was selected with the 21st overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, and despite being named to to the All-Rookie team in his first year with the Jaguars, he ended up being somewhat of a dud on the field. He wasn't a true bust, as he played in the league a long time and wasn't drafted in the Top 10, but he certainly didn't live up to his first round selection. Wynn was a starting defensive end on three Jaguars Playoff teams, including the 14-2 AFC Championship Team in 1998, and certainly wasn't terrible, but he never made a big enough impact to be ranked higher on the list. Never recording more than 5 sacks in a season and only playing five seasons with the Jaguars, Wynn lands at number 15.

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14. Fernando Bryant. CB. Alabama (1999) - Bryant was selected 26th overall in the 1999 draft by the Jaguars. He, like so many other Jaguars first round picks, didn't last as long as you would expect for a first round pick. Bryant played five years with the Jags, starting 72 games. While Bryant was a starter virtually his entire time in Jacksonville, he never developed into the shut down corner that the Jaguars drafted him to be. He never picked the ball off more than twice in a season and was out of Jacksonville after the 2003 season. Bryant went on to play for the Lions for some time, starting 38 games for Detroit and even won a Super Bowl with the Steelers (he had nothing to do with them winning). Bryant was never a bad player, but he never developed the way you would expect from a first rounder.

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13. Byron Leftwich. QB. Marshall (2003) - Leftwich had a storied career at Marshall University, famously leading the team down the field on a broken leg to win a game. The fairy tale came to an end in Jacksonville. Byron was selected seventh overall by the Jags in 2003 and was supposed to be the heir apparent to Mark Brunell. Leftwich had a cannon of an arm, but lacked the touch and quick delivery required to succeed in the NFL. He had a couple of decent years in Jax and was able to manage the team while the defense won games. 2005, Byron’s third year in the league, was by far his best. He threw 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions before getting injured in the midst of a playoff run. The team lost in the first round to the Patriots, but there was hope for the young signal caller. Byron returned as the the starter in 2006, but again was injured, this time only finishing 6 games before the injury bug struck. Byron would never again see the field as the Jaguars starting QB, as he was cut just before the 2007 offseason, in favor of David Garrard. After his departure from Jax Byron was a career backup.

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12. Luke Joeckel. LT. Texas A&M (2013) - Luke Joeckel was selected with the number two overall draft pick in the 2013 draft. Jaguars General Manager, Dave Caldwell, fell in love with the left tackles great athleticism, but failed to predict that Joeckel would struggle to stay healthy and maintain consistent play. The thing about Joeckel is that he plays decent most of the time, but when he slips up it’s always at the worst possible moment. Joeckel’s inconsistent play and his penchant for giving up big sacks at crucial moments lands him pretty low on this list. He has a lot of room to improve, but at this point he hasn't brought anything positive to the Jaguars. He certainly has not proven to be the book end left tackle that you would expect from a number two overall selection. Joeckel must get more physical. Perhaps there is a former Jaguar left tackle, and Pride Member, who just so happens to be very involved with the organization, that Joeckel should be learning from. Cough, Cough … Tony Boselli … Cough, Cough.

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11. Reggie Nelson. FS. Florida (2007) - Nelson was the 21st pick of the 2007 draft and only had to move an hour and a half north to play with his new team in Jacksonville. Nelson was a fan favorite, for many Gator fans also cheer for the Jags. He won a national title at Florida and was primed to be a great free safety for the Jaguars. In his rookie season with the team, Nelson set a Jaguars rookie record with 5 interceptions. He then intercepted a pass in the playoffs against the Steelers in Pitt to help secure the game for the Jaguars. That was where the magic ended for Reggie Nelson in Jax. Over the next two seasons, Nelson proved to be inconsistent and was heavily penalized due to his reckless abandon on the field. Nelson only played three years with the team. He either didn't receive the guidance that he needed in Jax or wasn't ready to receive guidance at such a young age. Nelson moved on to Cincinnati, where he has been a starter ever since. He has been the model of consistency for the Bengals and even recorded 8 interceptions just last season on his way to the Pro Bowl. Nelson has had an impressive career, recording 30 interceptions and 648 tackles. The Jaguars would have been wise to keep him around (yes, hind sight is 20/20), but they didn't and thus he is not higher on the list.

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