JACKSONVILLE – Remember being in school and kinda, sorta – OK, really, really – dreading Report Card Day? This ain't one of those days.
Not if you're a Jaguars fan, anyway – because what was pretty much expected after the team's giddy, high-profile 2016 NFL Draft Weekend indeed came to fruition.
The national analysts? The pontificating pundits?
They couldn't have been more effusive over the Jaguars and General Manager David Caldwell after a draft that included six defensive players among the team's seven selections – and two of the premier talents available.
"The Jacksonville Jaguars will not be a 'sleeper' playoff pick this year," NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal wrote here while declaring the Jaguars a "winner" in the draft. "They will be too popular for that."
Said NFL analyst Shaun O’Hara here, "It's a new era in Jacksonville."
Their analysis, pontificating and punditry were pretty much unanimous – that the weekend hardly could have gone better for the Jaguars. Their on-air, on-Twitter comments through the weekend indicated that, and their post-mortem punditry did, too.
"Ultimately, you love the talent Jacksonville added and the value, but they've drafted well recently and just haven't shown the growth on the field," ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. wrote while giving the Jaguars an "A" for the entire draft. "Is this the class that turns the tide?"
Indeed, the hours and days following the draft have been pretty much all As all the time for the Jaguars.
Analysts focused on the first two selections, Florida State safety Jalen Ramsey at No. 5 overall and UCLA linebacker Myles Jack at No. 36. Many of the grades focused on the team's ability to get Jack – considered a Top 5 talent – at the top of the second round.
"Regardless of what the future holds for Myles Jacks in terms of health, if he's anything close to 100 percent for years to come, the Jags will have one of the biggest steals of recent draft history," Kiper wrote here.
Dane Brugler of CBS and NFL Draft Scout included the Jaguars among the teams with the "five best hauls," writing that Ramsey was the "prize of the draft class."
But analysts also liked the entire Jaguars draft, with the rest including Maryland defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (third round), Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day (fourth round), Montana defensive end Tyrone Holmes (sixth round), Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen (sixth round) and Central Arkansas defensive end Jonathan Woodard (seventh round).
NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter gave the Jaguars "As" for Days 1, 2 and 3 and followed that with an "A" for the overall draft.
A look at what other analysts are saying about – and how they're grading – the Jaguars' 2016 NFL Draft:
*Lindsay Jones, USA Today, A: "Jacksonville's hot offseason continued through the draft … it's fun to imagine this revamped defense that also includes 2015 first-round defensive end Dante Fowler Jr."
*Steve Palazzolo, Pro Football Focus, A: Said the Jaguars : "hit the jackpot on Jack," and noted that Ramsey "has the tools to develop into one of the best press cornerbacks in the league."
*Pete Prisco, CBS Sports, A : "They had to improve the defense and they used six of their seven picks on that side of the ball. That was smart."
*Chris Burke, SI.com, A : "[Jalen] Ramsey was No. 2 and Jack was No. 3; the Jaguars drafted them at Nos. 5 and 36, respectively, so IF Jack can stay healthy for a few seasons, this could go down as the franchise's best ever."
*Dan Kadar, SB Nation, B : "After a highly acclaimed draft in 2015, the Jaguars got another one in 2016."
*Peter Schrager, Fox Sports, B : "The media has drooled over some of the classes Jacksonville has had in recent years, but I honestly think this might be the best haul yet."
*Rob Rang, CBS Sports and the Sports Xchange, A-: "If Jack proves healthy, this is the kind of draft that could push Jacksonville into the playoffs."
*Evan Silva, Rotoworld, A-: "The Jaguars are turning things around because they're now drafting well. Another step in that direction."
