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first coast

June - July 2015

FIRST COAST
SUMMER
INSIDE THE 2015
JAGUARS DRAFT
CLASS
1 June - July 2015 | First Coast Register

Ponte Vedra Jacksonville The Beaches

St. Augustine & Amelia Island

WHOS WHO
ON THE
FIRST COAST

32 June - July 2015 | First Coast Register

HOPE
FOR THE
HOPELESS
THE 2015
JAGUARS
DRAFT
CLASS

by JORDAN E. FERRELL

First Coast Register | June - July 2015 33

The Kentucky Derby is over, the all-but-riveting

$200 million prizefight is in the books and the 2015
NFL Draft has come to a close. Its almost that time
of the year again and Jacksonville is starting to buzz
with high hopes and zealous expectations. This 2015
NFL season could show signs of realignment with a
bevy of trades already executed and a star-studded
selection of draft picks, who will hopefully prop up
some of the weaker divisions, such as the AFC South
which has fallen quite far since 2007 when it achieved
a combined overall record of 42-22 (.656) and a
combined conference record of 30-10 (.750) that is
still tied for best of all time with the 2013 NFC West.
The fear of disappointment is not to be trifled with.
There is always a lot of hype that surrounds these
excitable rookies well before the time their name is
even called on stage by
our chief magistrate,
Rodger Goodell. Blown
knees, weapon charges
and drug addictions are
a tough thing to foresee.
There is no telling
what these athletes are
capable of once you
grease their palms with
enough money to buy a
fleet of automobiles and
enough liquor to fill up a
pool. The fun and games
dont stop once you leave
the schoolyard. Strictly
business doesnt equate
to total maturity.
Being cynical is the
easy thing to do when
you have witnessed a
solid decade of topnotch athletes who leave
the NCAA and venture into the NFL only to become
beached whales stinking up the sidelines with their
fat salary cap slices of the pie. The morbid sentiments
run deeper as you witness favorites from your alma
mater go the same route. Any professional gambler
knows the favoritism stops here.
While it may be tough to accept for those dyedin-the-wool fans out there, the Jaguarsalong with
the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders and Tampa
Bay Bucshave been circling the drain for sometime
now. Jacksonville has been showing small signs of
improvement with every new season though and the
excitement that Shad Khan has been able to bring to
the whole Jaguar experience is keeping the meat in
the seats over at EverBank Field. This years annual
draft party was a perfect example of that excitement
that Khan is generating among the fans. The days of
game-day blackouts are over for Jacksonville and the
tide appears to be turning.
The draft ratings are in and Jacksonville, according
to some of the professionals in sports analysis, is
among the top teams in terms of picks. Both Sports
34 June - July 2015 | First Coast Register

Illustrated and CBS Sports gave Jacksonville an A for

the draft and NFL.com went as far as giving them an
A+, which was the only team in the AFC besides the
Cincinnati Bengals to earn such a grade.
Jaguars are coming, said Sports Illustrateds Chris
Burke. Maybe not in 2015, maybe not in 2016, but
soon. This draft without question kept this franchises
positive momentum, from a talent standpoint, rolling
in the right direction.
Senior NFL Columnist Pete Prisco echoed this
sentiment, complimenting the Jags on their general
manager David Caldwells job in just his second year
with the team.
His [Caldwells] draft board is loaded with talent,
said Prisco. This team is moving in the right direction
and this draft will go a long way in helping that
happen.
Lets get down to
brass tacks here. Some
of Jacksonvilles picks
are more familiar than
others, as tends to be
the case in most NFL
drafts, but one thing
Jacksonville seemed to
be consistent withby
complete coincidence
or absolute purpose
was
focusing
on
southern
dexterity.
Five-of-eight
Jaguar
picks where players
from southern colleges,
three of them from
the SEC and the
other two from the
ACC. Its common
knowledge that the
SEC is a powerhouse
conference in NCAA football and has been for a
long time. The ACC, on the other hand, housed the
defending champs of the national title this year and
is without a doubt making a strong push in the right
direction with the addition of Louisville and the
improvements seen in the programs at both Georgia
Tech and Duke.
Speculations aside, every Jacksonville fan should
agree that having players from UF, FSU, Alabama,
Louisville and South Carolina will do nothing but
bolster more fans for the Jaguars. The rubes that are
usually hunkered down in their bunkers on Sunday,
mourning a game day loss or avoiding church, will
come crawling out in full support of a player theyve
been watching for three college football seasons.
Everybody else may have hated Christian Laettner,
but when he went to the Minnesota Timberwolves in
1992, you can bet your bottom dollar that every Duke
alumnus became a temporary Timberwolves fan
despite the teams disastrous record during his tenure
there.
And lets face it, its impossible to turn over a stone

in this town and not find at least one or two Alabama fans
itching to yell Roll Tide! or even a closet Louisville fan that is
still raw about that gut-wrenching, overtime loss to Michigan
State in the NCAA basketball tournament a couple months ago.
The fandemonium will ensue and Jaguar jersey sales will tick
up, mark my words.
Round One Thursday, April 30, 2015
Jaguar Draft Party
As a Jaguar fan by birthright and having never actually
encountered the extravagant draft party that the team has put
on for the past decade or so, it was absolutely imperative for me
to get involvedfor the sake of total coverage, of course. The
initial response of the fans can be very foretelling of how the
season will progress.
The weather was strangely cool that day on the way into the
stadium. The typical tailgate style festivities were taking place
in the parking lot as herds of fans and their fair-weather friends
posing as fans, marched towards the gates. The first sign in
sight once you approach the turnstiles was one that read, No
outside drinks. No cameras with lenses longer than six inches.
Tucking the camera into my side and putting my arm over it, I
quickly walked through the checkpoint and into the stadium.
With a little over an hour until the first pick of the draft was to
be announced, the fans were piling into EverBank Field for $9
beers and $12 barbeque, ready for the show to begin and for the
answer to the question that was on every Jaguars fans mind.
The field itself was a maze of lines, filled with men and
women, young and old. A DJ in some unknown location on the
field was filling the stadium with music as the crowd pulsated
with anticipation, slamming as many beers and cocktails as
possible before the draft kicked off. After a few laps around the
stadium and bumping into several friends, it was time to find a
good vantage point.
Approaching the Bud Light Party Zone on the south end of
the stadium, it was apparent that this was the place to be. Most
of EverBank Stadium was void of people sitting in the bleachers
except for this particular portion. Climbing the stairs after a
quick transaction with a man selling Bud Lights from a cooler
strapped around his neck the ascension to my destination
was quickly stopped by a mob of yellow-shirted security
guards explaining that this was simply a private function and
I was not invited. Trying to explain that I was only in search
of a good vantage point for pictures was no use. It was a solid
defensive line, which I had no choice but to avoid. They should
probably pay these poor sots more. Resorting to standing on
their prestigious private railing worked just fine for the pictures
needed.
As the time neared I found myself at the fence line of the
center stage on the field, huddled up against a barrage of fans,
drink in hand and dressed down in Jaguar gear, which put me at
ease. The first pick was announced and to no surprise the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers selected Jameis Winston to get the ball rolling.
The Tennessee Titans came next and picked the super Samoan
from Hawaii, Marcus Mariota, which had to be a huge letdown
for all Eagles fans that had hoped the rumors were true and that
Chip Kellys newly acquired salary cap space would somehow
wrangled in Oregons Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
Jacksonville was set for the next pick as the crowds anxiety
heightened. The giant new monitor on the north end of

the stadium was lit up brightly as Goodell announced that

Jacksonvilles pick was in. A collective hush washed over the
crowd gathered in the stadium as the commissioner informed
the nation that the Jags had selected defensive end Dante
Fowler Jr. from the University of Florida. The response seemed
to be mixed. There were a lot of cheers, of course, but there
seemed to a sense of surprise from the crowd. Granted, the
Jaguars needed a defensive end, as Tyson Alualus solo stats
have been in decline since 2012 and Chris Clemons isnt getting
any younger, but the insider pick was Leonard Williams from
the University of Southern California.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 261-pound defensive end from UF is a
solid pick for the Jags though. It may have taken some fans
by surprise but the kid has obvious talent. In his 2014 season
with the Gators he led the defense in tackles with 15. You might
remember that this was the UF player who announced via tweet
that he would be leaving with Will Muschamp, the former Gator
head coach who just recently stepped down. Fowler forwent his
eligibility to play ball for UF and declared for the 2015 NFL Draft
as a freshman.
Despite his premature departure from the collegiate circle,
he has long arms, which will benefit the pass defense and
commendable rushing skills that allow him to fire off from
either the two- or three-point stance. Hes the same height as
Alualu but 34 pounds lighter and seven years younger. It might
be a bit of a stretch to compare Fowler with Jevon Kearse in
his early Tennessee Titan days, but the two are almost identical
in height and weight. Fowler only put up a fraction of the total
tackles that Kearse did at UF but both were picked up in the
first round, Kearse at 16 and Fowler at 3.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, Fowler went down clutching
his knee in the first day of spring camp on Friday, May 8. After
inspection it was later reported that he had torn his ACL and
will be out for the entire 2015 season.
Rounds Two & Three Friday, May 1, 2015
Round two started an hour earlier at 6 p.m. and reduced the
amount of time per pick to seven minutes, as opposed to ten.
The New York Giants took first pick of the second round from
the Tennessee Titans. The Giants got the ball rolling with the
All-American safety from Alabama, Landon Collins. Next came
Tampa Bay with the 34th overall pick and then Oakland at 35.
The Raiders selected defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. from
Florida State, who for my money, was the best defensive end
that declared for the draft and will most likely have the longest
lasting impact in the NFL.
Jacksonvilles second pick came at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The Jaguars were definitely in need of both a franchise running
back and wide receiver, now that Justin Blackmon appears
to be doomed to the fate of his own devices. The majority of
speculations for the first round were for them to select top wide
receiver prospect Amari Cooper and sure enough the Raiders
sucked him up right after Jacksonville took Fowler. The first
round consisted of six wide receiver picks and just two running
backs, Todd Gurley from Georgia being one of them.
This being the case, there were a handful of good running
backs with franchise potential left. Jacksonville selected the
junior running back from Alabama, T. J. Yeldon.
Remember, Yeldon is the kid, who as a freshman, ran
alongside Eddie Lacy in 2012, when Alabama took home the
First Coast Register | June - July 2015 35

BCS National Championship title. He accrued 1,108 yards

rushing with 12 touchdowns. In 2013, after Lacy declared
for the draft, Yeldon became the starter and racked up 1,235
yards and 14 touchdowns. He did sustain several ankle and
hamstring snafus during his sophomore year, which somewhat
hindered his effectiveness this past season, but the kid is strong.
Yeldon has been tested and has proven himself worthy. He can
maintain composure under highly pressurized situations and
has all of the tools necessary to be a clutch runner. His true
potential was not seen at Alabama due to his ongoing recovery
from injuries. Long arms coupled with some decent hands can
make Yeldon a dangerous offensive asset with Blake Bortles
short-range accuracy. Some analysts have questioned him on
his ball security, but that is nothing a few good gloves and some
better ball coaching cant resolve.
Round three started just as soon as the Patriots made the
64th overall pick of the draft. The third round was once again
reduced in time allotted per pick from seven minutes down to
five. The Indianapolis Colts took the 65th pick from the Bucs
and the Titans took the 66th.
The Jaguars, for the 67th overall pick of 2015 NFL Draft, chose
A. J. Cann from South Carolina. Cann completed his senior year
in 2014 and was named second-team All-American before
registering for the draft. He started all four years of collegiate
play as a left guard for the Gamecocks. He was voted team
captain in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 313-pound guard will be a good player
to shadow the veteran Zane Beadles for the next couple of
seasons. While Cann isnt the tallest of guards to play the
position, he is strong and has quick feet, which will benefit any
pulls or screen plays. He was rarely penalized for holding during
his college career and has the instincts of a defender. Cann is
a wide-bodied athletic player who can plug a hole in terms of
pass protection which is exactly what Jacksonville needs or
provide solid down-blocking to give a runner an open hole.
Unfortunately, the guard position is only as strong as the
man standing next to them. If the tackles cant find a way to
throttle the pass rush in this coming season, we could see a lot
more of the same. Then again, maybe the Jaguars just need an
offensive anchor, like Tony Boselli in the late 90s. And if that
leadership role cant be filled by Bortles, maybe its the twotime South Carolina team captain, Cann, who can step up and
play the part. Time will tell.
36 June - July 2015 | First Coast Register

Rounds Four through Seven Saturday, May 2, 2015

These final rounds are always exciting, for the players who
get drafted, of course, and for those who are true fans out there.
These are the rounds where players like Tom Brady, Terrell
Davis, Richard Dent and Shannon Sharpe are picked up and
tucked away under the wing of some sleeping giant until the
day they shine.
These rounds kicked off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning,
when most people were still nursing hangovers and rethinking
life decisions. Rounds four through six were kept at five minutes
per pick, with the seventh round and additional compensatory
picks being reduced to four minutes apiece.
The New York Jets traded up with the Jaguars in the fourth
round, coincidently only moving the Jets up one pick from
the 104th to the 103rd. The Jets chose Baylors standout
quarterback, Bryce Petty. With the fifth pick in the fourth round
and the 104th pick overall, Jacksonville chose James Sample,
the Louisville safety from Sacramento, Calif.
Sample declared for the draft after his first and only season
with the Louisville Cardinals as a junior. In just 13 games with
the Cardinals he racked up 90 tackles and four interceptions.
Sample is one of the taller safeties, standing at 6-foot-2-inches
and weighing in at 209-pounds. Not much can be shown for
his college career due to his lack of playing time at the colleges
he attended before coming to Louisville. Although, what little
has been shown from his junior year of collegiate play in the
ACC, I would say he is comparable to one of the hardest hitting
safeties to ever play the game, John Lynch.
Much like Lynch, football was not Samples only focus in his
early years. Sample was a standout in football growing up, but
he also excelled in track & field. Obviously, he is quick on his
feet, as any safety should be, and he shows his value in openfield tackling. He is a headhunter outside of zone defenses and
covers the field efficiently from sideline to sideline. Of those
90 tackles he accrued in his junior year, 74 of them were solo
takedowns. With some solid defensive coaching, Sample could
very well develop into a premier safety for the Jaguars.
Jacksonville, yet to pick up a wide receiver, selected Rashad
Greene from Florida State in the fifth round. This very well
could be the biggest sleeper and most explosive pick for the
Jaguars in this draft.
Greene played all four years of college ball with the Seminoles.
As a senior in 2014 he set the school record for most single-

season receptions with 99, simultaneously setting the record

for most career-receptions (270) and receiving yards (3,830),
surpassing Ron Sellers who had previously held that record
since 1968.
The one draw back to Greene is he is somewhat of a smaller
wide out, a Megatron by no means and around 60-pounds
lighter than Kelvin Benjamin, his fellow receiver from the 2014
BCS Championship team. Breaking tackles could be an issue,
but the kid is quick and about as resilient as they come.
Despite his small stature, in 2013 he led the Seminoles with
76 receptions for 1,128 yards and nine touchdowns, which
includes the nine receptions for 147 yards he made during the
championship game. The kid is a stud; there is no way around
it.
For the 180th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2015
NFL draft, the Jaguars pulled in a defensive tackle in the form
of Michael Bennett, who was a part of the 2015 CFP National
Championship team, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Bennett has started all 28 games in the past two seasons with
the Buckeyes. He is known for his explosive first steps after
the snap and his strong hands that can shed linemen easily.
Bennett was projected to go in the second or third round due
to his strength and overall ability to disrupt plays. His strength
makes him a worthy adversary in the case of a double team, but
his lower half lacks some size. He could find trouble with bigger
guards he is matched up against.
Jacksonvilles pen of defensive tackles lacks youthfulness,
with this being the seventh football season for almost the entire
squad except for Abry Jones. If Bennett can build up some
more leg strength he could end up being a mainstay for this
Jacksonville defense, bringing a spark and some much needed
lifeblood to an aging defensive line.
The seventh and final round of the draft proved to be the
definition of ending on a high note for Jacksonville. With the
third pick in the seventh round the Jaguars chose wide receiver
Neal Sterling from Monmouth University as the 220th overall
pick.
To sum up Sterling in a word it would be, big. Standing at
6-foot-4-inches and pushing 240-pounds, Sterling is one of
those utility players that could play either tight end or wide
out, hell maybe even line backer. He has a height advantage
on almost any cornerback that would be covering him and a
strength advantage over any safeties. In 2014 season he racked

up 55 receptions worth 905 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Its been said that Sterling would be a good replacement
for the 30-year-old Marcedes Lewis and maybe there is some
truth to that, but this is the age of big receivers. The league
has changed quite a bit over the past two decades and no one
position, except for maybe quarterback, is archetype. At this
point, Sterling could go either way. If Jacksonville wants to
make him a tight end, they need to throw another 20-pounds
on the kid and start working on his blocking skills. Putting him
at the position he has been playing and is familiar with looks
like the best course of action though. The duo of Sterling and
Greene could be an au fait parallel to the offensive team that
took the Seminoles to the big show in 2013.
Last but not least, Jacksonville brandished a second seventh
round pick at 229th overall. The Jaguars picked up Notre Dames
only player to be selected, tight end Ben Koyack.
As mentioned before, Lewis is getting long in the tooth and
for most Jacksonville fans its probably sad to see, but it is the
nature of the game. With one year left on his contract, Lewis
being let go looks like a realistic situation. Good news for the
Jags, they recently picked up veteran Julius Thomas, who will
provide some stability and leadership for the newcomers if
Clay Harbor and Lewis contracts are not renewed.
So what about Koyack, you say? He will have to earn his
spot on the team during spring training. There are at least two
other players gunning for the job and its going to come down
to which player has better hands and run blocking ability.
Unfortunately, Koyack only spent one season as a full-time
starter, which equates to a lack of experience. Its obvious the
kid has potential and raw talent though. Its just a matter of
whether or not that potential can carry over from his collegiate
days. Late round draft picks are almost always a shot in the
dark but thats what spring training is for.
Overall, the Jaguars made some solid selections in this draft
that will hopefully pay off in due time. There are several players
assuming they make it through spring training without
any significant injuries that could even be starters come
September. Nothing is for certain, but I can guarantee the Jags
will win at least five games this season. Its springtime and
there is change in the air.

First Coast Register | June - July 2015 37