Past trades play role in 2011 draft
The Jaguars have made 49 trades in the 16-year history of the franchise. In addition, 29 of the 49 trades were made on the weekend of the NFL Draft.
Here are the two trades that will factor into this week's draft:
April 23, 2010 - Jaguars traded Dallas' 2010 5th-round pick (158th overall, acquired from Oakland for DE Quentin Groves) to New Orleans for Saints' 2011 4th-round pick (121st overall).
May 5, 2010 - Jaguars traded their 2011 7th-round pick (218th overall) to Miami for G Justin Smiley.
Did you know?
The Jaguars have drafted only four quarterbacks in franchise history. Byron Leftwich (2003) was the last signal caller selected by the club.
25 players to attend NFL Draft in New York
The NFL announced Monday morning that a record 25 players are confirmed to attend the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Here's the list: Prince Amukamara (Nebraska), Akeem Ayers (UCLA), Adrian Clayborn (Iowa), Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Marcell Dareus (Alabama), Nick Fairley (Auburn), Blaine Gabbert (Missouri), A.J. Green (Georgia), Mark Herzlich (Boston College), Mark Ingram (Alabama), Cameron Jordan (California), Julio Jones (Alabama), Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue, Corey Liuget (Illinois), Von Miller (Texas A&M), Rahim Moore (UCLA), Cam Newton (Auburn), Patrick Peterson (LSU), Mike Pouncey (Florida), Aldon Smith (Missouri), Tyron Smith (Southern California), Phil Taylor (Baylor), Danny Watkins (Baylor), JJ Watt (Wisconsin) and Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech).
Where they come from
There have been 140 players drafted by the Jaguars since 1995. The most have been from the University of Florida with seven selections, and Southern California ranks second with six picks including two in 2008. The Jaguars have drafted three players each from Virginia, Georgia, Washington, Illinois, West Virginia, Syracuse, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech and Notre Dame.
In the Jaguars' 16-year history, they have yet to select a player from many of the major Division I schools. Some of the notable universities are South Carolina, Clemson, Boston College, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Brigham Young.
The Jaguars have drafted 11 players from a Florida school in 16 years (Florida, 7; Florida State, 2; Central Florida, 1, Bethune-Cookman, 1). Three of the seven players from the University of Florida were first-round picks in Fred Taylor (1998), Reggie Nelson (2007) and Derrick Harvey (2008).
Seven of the 15 players selected by the Jaguars the last two years played college football at either NCAA Division I FCS (formerly I-AA), NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III or NAIA schools. The club&39;s four picks in the final four rounds of the 2010 draft all came from FCS (Football Championship Series) schools with defensive end Larry Hart (Central Arkansas), defensive end Austen Lane (Murray State), running back/kick returner Deji Karim (Southern Illinois) and return specialist Scotty McGee (James Madison).
"There's a lot of different levels of football. We're projecting players to a level they've never performed at, and so it's very challenging as scouts doing that," Jaguars general manager Gene Smith said. "But you just have to say to yourself whether a guy's from Heidelberg College, because they actually have a receiver this year, that if they have the height, weight and speed and they've got what we feel is the ability to develop into an NFL player, you have to have a feel for where you would slot him, where you would take him and then what they'll become. And that's what scouting is."
The Jaguars have drafted five players from non-Division I schools in the first two rounds in franchise history including three that have played major roles of late in center Brad Meester (2001, 2ndround), cornerback Rashean Mathis (2003, 2ndround) and linebacker Justin Durant (2007, 2ndround).
West coast respect
The Jaguars have drafted a player from a Pac-10 school in 13 of the 16 drafts in franchise history including five consecutive seasons. The club selected two players from the Pac-10 in 2006 (Marcedes Lewis and Maurice Jones-Drew of UCLA), one in 2007 (Andrew Carnahan, Arizona State), two in 2008 (Thomas Williams and Chauncey Washington of Southern California), two in 2009 (Eben Britton and Mike Thomas of Arizona) and one in 2010 (Tyson Alualu, California).
Since 2003 the Jaguars have selected six players from a Pac-10 school in the first two rounds.
Character plays role in club's selections
General manager Gene Smith believes in building a team around solid players with strong character traits. The Jaguars selected nine players in the 2009 NFL Draft, with seven offensive players and two defensive players. Seven of the nine players served as team captains in college and seven also earned an undergraduate degree.
The Jaguars picked six players in the 2010 NFL Draft and four were captains for their respective teams.
"People that have higher character perform or maximize their talents at a greater level," Smith said. "And I don't think it's anything other than that; character counts. People that are under-disciplined underachieve; people that are overly-disciplined overachieve, and really what we're looking for is talented players, because that's where it starts, who are achievers. Character and competitor, but it starts with talent."
The last word
"It really hasn't changed much over the past three years. Every year we say to each other you know… Pretty much this last month we go until eight, nine, ten, eleven o'clock at night, walk out when it's dark, especially the last three weeks, to be able to magnify the amount of time we spend together in that room. So it gets interesting. We go back and forth and argue a little bit. I don't know if I'd call it argue but we debate certain guys, it gets heated, but at the end of the day the Jaguars' selection is Gene's call. We feel very good about where we are in the draft, very good."
Director, Player Personnel, Terry McDonough on if the Jaguars draft process has changed the last three years
