JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Ed from Jacksonville:
My question is regarding Myles Jack's availability for OTAs this year. I thought when he had his injury last fall he withdrew from school so he could focus solely on his rehab. If he withdrew, why would he have to sit out because of the UCLA class schedule if he has not been a student there since last fall?
John: It's true linebacker Myles Jack will miss most of the Jaguars' offseason program. The rule that makes that the case isn't a UCLA or NCAA rule; it's an NFL rule that says rookies can't participate in offseason programs until their respective schools have finished spring classes. The rule applies whether the player is enrolled in school or not. It is designed to encourage players to remain in school. As for whether it as a good and/or effective rule or not … indeed, that is a legitimate question. But Jack will not participate in OTAs because in the NFL you don't get very far if you don't play by the rules.
Joel from Boston, MA:
If Jack has four productive seasons before his knee becomes an issue was he worth the pick?
John: Yes. Absolutely.
Tommy from Jacksonville:
I had the craziest dream this weekend. We somehow landed Jalen Ramsey in the first round and Myles Jack dropped out of the sky in the second round into the Jags' locker room. I thought it was over, but then we picked up a speed edge rusher and some other stout defensive linemen. Then my girlfriend slapped me and said, "Snap out of it." What's happening O-man?
John: You must have eaten something weird. There's no way that what you described could really happen in real life.
Andrew from Macungie, PA:
Hey, John, so after Round 1, Ramsey was (deservedly) being touted as the guy to line up against mismatched tight ends in the passing game. Now, with Jack, it seems we have the luxury of having to decide if that actually is going to be Ramsey's role or if Jack takes over that aspect. Obviously hard to speculate before either one takes a snap, but who do you see as the "mismatch cover guy?"
John: Jack. He's particularly strong in that role.
Steven from Duval:
Just got back from Nashville and met Titans tight end Delanie Walker, whose first comment once he figured out we were Jags fans was about Myles Jack's speed. He seemed scared, which should excite Jag nation. #DTWD
John: I kind of doubt he was scared. Walker's a really good NFL player and I haven't met too many NFL players who are truly scared of other players, but will Jack's speed make life tougher for Walker and other tight ends playing the Jaguars next season? Yeah, that's the idea.
Michael from Newport News, VA:
Well, the nation is now talking about our team. It is nice not to have the Jaguars be the team that has no hope. Now we need to play the games and win.
John: Yes.
Hassan from Dallas, TX:
Would it be fair to say we have the most flexible defense in the NFL? We have a bunch of guys that can play three-tech defensive tackle/five-technique defensive end and LEO/OLB. Now Jalen Ramsey can play anywhere in the defensive backfield, and Myles Jack can play all three linebacker positions and strong safety (and running back). We could adjust our base defense week to week depending on what team we are playing.
John: I'm not going to call the Jaguars' defense the "most" anything in the NFL until the team comes together and has some success on the field. The acquisitions the Jaguars have made are exciting and encouraging and could mean improvement, but for now we don't know much beyond that. Maybe it's fair to say they have the "most" potential and the "most" chance for growth. That's something – and it's something we haven't been able to say about this defense in a long time.
Tony from Richmond, VA:
What a great draft. What do you think it says of the direction this organization is headed that players like Myles Jack said during his initial interview that not only did he like getting picked here, but that he wanted to come here over all other organizations?
John: I think it says what a lot of people have been saying for a while – that the Jaguars are going in the right direction and that they're very close to taking it to the limit – and maybe beyond. I think it says that a lot of other people – players included – are noticing it now, and that's good, but it's not like it hasn't been happening for a while.
Will from Jacksonville:
Do you think the Jaguars not being interested in Josh Norman was due to a projection that Jalen Ramsey would be available at No. 5?
John: Certainly not.
Talha from Boone, NC:
I love the attention the Jaguars are getting and all but as a fan who has stuck through the past 10-plus years, kind of worried about bandwagoners suddenly all over the Jaguars.
John: Nah, Talha, there's plenty of room on the bandwagon – and newcomers. Just remember, you've been reading the O-Zone for a while, so you're assured the best seat.
Jaginator from Section 124:
"Man, I'm SO excited to see what that Arkansas QB can do!" said no one ever.
John: That's weird, because I heard a couple of people around the Jaguars with a ton of football experience and knowledge saying pretty much exactly that Saturday afternoon.
Tom from Melbourne, FL:
How many games would you expect it to take for this young defense to gel?
John: I expect it to gel in the third quarter Week 5. No wait … late second quarter.
DUVAL DOOM from Section 217:
Well, that was pretty amazing. I had a smile on my face from Thursday until the draft ended. Having said that, I already feel a growing concern in the back of my mind that I'm (and most of the fan base) going to be crushed Week 1 if we don't beat the Packers, lol.
John: Will the fan base be crushed if the Jaguars don't win Week 1? Sure. Will losses still be disappointing? And will there still be losses? Again … yes and yes. But here's what this past weekend and the past couple of offseasons have done: they have raised the Jaguars' talent level to the point where they are back on level ground with the rest of the NFL. When you get there, then quarterback play and playmakers can start to be the difference between winning and losing. The good news for the Jaguars is they have a quarterback – Blake Bortles – who has a chance to develop into an elite guy capable of winning with a quality team around him. He's not elite yet, but he has a real chance to get there. I don't know if the Jaguars will beat the Packers Week 1. I don't know how many games they will win. I do know that with the young talent on this roster the Jaguars are going to have a chance to be competitive with the rest of the NFL in the coming seasons. It has been a long road getting there, but they're there.
Mickey from Jacksonville:
I know it is just fans "fanning," but how anyone can question Caldwell's decisions in this draft is absurd! I'm 43-years old and this is the BEST draft I've ever seen. Jag fans, please sit back and relish this moment. We will never see anything like this draft again. Hat's off to Mr. Caldwell. #DTWD
John: Caldwell indeed deserves a lot of credit. Maybe Jaguars fans can do something nice for him. Chip in for a cake … or maybe a weekend at a beach house somewhere. Or at least within a couple of minutes of the beach.
Walter from Yulee, FL:
I'll admit to knowing nothing about Sheldon Day, the Jags' fourth pick, prior to the draft. That said, I don't see how a player with his production and accolades at Notre Dame could still be available in the fourth round. Is it because the Jags are unlike a lot of NFL teams in the way they play their defensive tackles? Is the "three technique" not widely used? I'm reminded of when the Jags struck gold with Sen'Derrick Marks in free agency because he changed roles coming to Jax. Day seems like a perfect fit in that spot.
John: Day indeed is a fit there, and the Jaguars are excited about him. I'd attribute his availability mostly to this being a very good defensive-tackle draft; many analysts believed there would be front-line defensive tackles available into Rounds 3 or 4 and that would seem to be the case with Day. This also is an example of the sort of selection you can make when you're not overwhelmingly worried about need through the entire draft. The Jaguars weren't really looking for a pass-rushing tackle, but the value of Day was very high for Round 4 – too much, as it turned out, for the Jaguars to pass. It was the sort of selection that would have been difficult to make two years ago when the team was using late-round selections for immediate impact and need.
Jordan from Duval:
Steal the Show.
John: #epic.