JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Beau from Mountain Home, ID:
Wouldn't you think the more people talk about Amari Cooper being a shocking pick for the Jags the less of a shock it becomes? I love pre-draft hype. Could we have a bard sing the hype to make it more comical? It could tie in nicely with your Round Table segment.
John: Ah, we talk now of bards, hype and what is and isn't shocking … what better way to kick off the last of our 2015 pre-draft O-Zones? Yes, we have talked enough about Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Jaguars that perhaps Amari Cooper to the Jaguars would no longer be shocking at all. Or perhaps it indeed would still shock some people. Who knows? Here's what I know: I know I think Southern California defensive end/tackle Leonard Williams will be the Jaguars' selection if he's on the board at No. 3 and I know I think Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. will be the selection of Williams is gone. I know I think I would be surprised but not shocked if the selection is Cooper or West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White. I know I would be shocked if anyone else is the selection, but then again, I also know I've been shocked a lot in life. Stay tuned.
Dave from Jacksonville:
O-Zone, I just had an epiphany and realized Jaguars General Manager Dave Caldwell is going to shock the world again at No. 3 and choose Todd Gurley, running back, Georgia. Dave will tell us that he is a once-in-a-generation running back. The Jags will then select Randy Gregory LB/Edge Rusher Nebraska in Round 2 and Tyler Lockett WR/PR Kansas State in Round 3. Book it!
John: Stranger things have happened, though I must say this would be a bit strange. Try as I might, I just can't see Gurley or any running back selected in the Top 5. And I can't see Gregory actually going as low as No. 36 overall. Now, could the Jaguars trade back then package a second-round selection acquired in that trade back to do something similar to a Gurley/Gregory combination? Hmmm …
Adrian from Inglewood, CA:
Here's hoping the Jaguars don't 2011 this draft.
John: Yeah, that wouldn't be good.
Ed from Ponte Vedra, FL:
I was happy Wednesday morning until I read Brian from Round Rock, TX, referring to himself as a "we."
John: I wasn't.
Keith from Miami, FL:
Who would you pick if you had both guys rated veerrrry closely on your board - Leonard Williams or Dante Fowler? If this is the case for Dave Caldwell, he would go with the need pick in Fowler, right?
John: You asked me what I would do; I would pick Fowler in your scenario. I suspect David Caldwell would do the same, though that wasn't the first question.
Mark from Waverly, IA:
My interest in the NFL began when the Jags became a franchise. I hitched my wagon to them, and never looked back. In those early days, when you lived in the Midwest, it was challenging to get any information on a team that had no local ties. I'd buy magazines, watch anything that could possibly give me a sliver of information on MY Jags and travel to any game I could get to just to talk about the team I loved with other fans. I got my first home computer in 2004. Since then, I couldn't care less about what the "National Media" has to say. With information everywhere? I'd rather hear from you or Vito or Prisco, even (God help me) Alfie. I'd rather hear from the guys in the trenches, than an ESPN "analyst." It's like choosing between a chain restaurant and a local diner. Give me someone who cares over watered down diagnosis meant to appeal to everyone.
John: One of the cool things about the internet age is that sports fans have choices. There is nothing wrong with watching ESPN or the NFL Network for information about a local team. There's nothing wrong with reading or listening to anyone, for that matter, as long as you know what you're getting. When you watch ESPN and the NFL Network you're usually getting information from someone with a broad brushstroke knowledge of many, many NFL teams; when you read, listen or watch someone locally you get someone with a much more immediate, intimate feel for the storylines of the franchise. Seen through that lens, there's room for a lot of different approaches in coverage – the NFL Network, ESPN, me, Vito, Prisco, even (God help you) Alfie. And that's cool. It's certainly a lot more fun than it was two decades ago.
Chris from Palm Beach, FL:
Morris is only one play away from being the primary backup, and then only one play away from being the starting QB. I am guessing they take Sean Mannion, a good developmental backup QB with our first round pick. The quarterback spots are critical. Make sense?
John: Seriously?
David from Durban, South Africa:
I read comments from other fans suggesting that the team only has an aged Leo in Chris Clemons and Ryan Davis. What about Andre Branch who was developing nicely into the Leo position as well as Chris Smith. The cupboard is not bare at the Leo position. The point is that the team must surely feel free to pick either a planet-theory player in Leonard Williams or an outside receiving threat in Amari Cooper or Kevin White.
John: The cupboard at the Leo is not bare. But that cupboard could look a lot better for the short- and long-term with an elite-level, rookie pass rusher.
James from Jacksonville:
Zone, if Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota are still there at No. 3, would Jacksonville be inclined to pick one in the hope for better trade offers than if he was still on the board? Or is that too risky?
John: If Winston or Mariota are available at No. 3, Caldwell no doubt would wait a while to field calls and he might even make a call or two. Then, he would select the player he wants. That player wouldn't be a quarterback. If you don't get a trade offer you like for one of the quarterbacks while you're on the clock, you're probably not going to get a better one once you draft that player.
Jack from Sheffield, England:
Hey John, I'm asking on behalf of a small group of dedicated Jags fans from here in the north of England. We are all giant fans of yours and the rest of the Inside the Jaguars team; we all literally stay up until the early hours of the morning to catch the latest episodes every season. My question is that with the Jags picking at No. 3 and all you experts saying that it's probably going to be Leonard Williams or Dante Fowler Jr., what is the possibility the Jags trade to get a second first-round pick ? If one of the two has been taken, Gurley or Gordon would provide the Jags with the last piece of the puzzle to being a fully competitive team in the AFC South.
John: First, MYSELF and the supporting cast thanks you. The possibility of a trade back into the first round is real. It would be a lot realer if the Jaguars trade back in the first round and garner two or three selections later in the draft. At that point, it becomes a lot more attractive to package a few picks and get into the latter part of the first round.
Lee from Jacksonville:
O-man, a talking head said the Raiders were in love with Leonard Williams and they might trade up to three to get him. What do you think they would have to offer us to make this a worthwhile deal?
John: The Raiders hold the No. 4 selection. I think it would take that and either: a second-round selection; or third-, fourth-, and fifth-round selection.
Nick from Copenhagen, Denmark:
John, living in Denmark, it is difficult to be up for the entirety of the NFL draft. I will definitely be up for the first part, but should I worry about the Jags trading back in to the bottom of the first?
John: I wouldn't necessarily be worried about it, but I also wouldn't rule out the possibility that you'll miss a Jaguars draft selection if you fall asleep.
Jim from Jacksonville:
I guess the option to trade our No. 3 overall pick for Cleveland's two first-round picks is off. Should we go ahead and pencil in Leonard Williams?
John: I assume you're referring to reports that the Browns have offered the No. 12 and No. 19 selections to the Titans for the No. 2 selection. First, the Titans haven't publicly accepted that trade yet, so nothing's "off." Second, if I'm the Jaguars or the Titans I need a bit more than the Nos. 12 and 19 selections to move that far back. Third, if the worst thing that happens in the next two days is the Jaguars calling Leonard Williams' name at No. 3 it's going to be a darned good weekend.