Coach Jack Del Rio talked about his team's first pick of the second day of the draft with the kind of excitement usually reserved for first-round choices.
Delta State defensive tackle Anthony Maddox provided the Jaguars with an enthusiastic start to the second day of the draft, when the Jaguars selected Maddox in the fourth round with the 118th overall pick. Del Rio gushed at the selection of Maddox, comparing the little-known player to some of the biggest names in the game. The pick is the result of a first-day trade with Green Bay.
Maddox, 6-0, 308, caught Del Rio's eye at the Blue-Gray game. "I asked who the big guy in the green helmet was," Del Rio said. "If he had come from a top-ranked school, if he had a longhorn on his helmet, he'd be a first-day guy."
The selection of Maddox addresses the Jaguars' need for a third defensive tackle. The team was unsuccessful in its attempts to sign veteran defensive tackles Lional Dalton and Luther Elliss in free agency. Del Rio left little doubt Maddox can fill the void behind Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.
"Relentless defensive tackle; quick, explosive, pursues down the line. He's a treat to watch on film. This is a talented, talented guy," Del Rio said of Maddox, 25, whose path through college football led him from Florida State to junior college, then to Delta State after leaving football for three seasons. Along the way, there were off-the-field problems and academic struggles.
"This guy is a great changeup for our defensive tackles. He's more of an explosive, pass-rush guy at defensive tackle," Del Rio said, comparing Maddox to John Randle. "This is a football-playing fool. He is a high-motor guy. He compares to some very good players in the league."
