Jacksonville Jaguars - AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars - AFC South, 2009 Draft Selections & Prospects

     

Jacksonville Jaguars

- 2009 NFL Draft Breakdown and Analysis
1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | 6th Rd | 7th Rd
- CFN 2009 Draft Central & Team-by-Team Picks and Analysis

The Draft Was ... Prudent ... to a point. There's strength in numbers, but getting both Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton could both work out. Mike Thomas, Jarett Dillard, and Tiquan Underwood will all help the passing game immediately.
Best Value Pick: Rashad Jennings, 7th round, 41st pick. He was worth a fourth rounder on skills alone. He could end up being a key part of the attack if used right.
Biggest Reach: Derek Cox, 3rd round, 73rd pick. Was he worth trading for? He could've been had deep into the second day.
They Should've ... Taken another defensive tackle. Terrance Knighton was a big reach in the third round, and he was it as far as helping out the defensive interior.

#	Pick
8	8	1st Round   Eugene Monroe, OT Virginia 6-5, 309 A superstar high school prospect and a big-time get for Virginia, he didn’t disappoint. While Jason Smith might have the best all-around combination of skills and potential, Monroe is the most ready to start right now. He played in a pro style offense and showed he could play to the level needed. When he needed to blast over a defender for the running game, he did it. When he needed to match up with a speed rusher, he did it. Great at the Combine looking polished and smooth, there’s little work needing to be done on his technique. The main concern is a nagging knee problem that could be an off-and-on issue over the course of his career. The only other question mark is whether or not he has the desire to be a killer, but that has been a bit overblown. He’s just not a screamer, get-in-your-face type of player. He simply goes out and does his job. CFN Value Rank: First Round    CFN Position Rank: 2
7	39	2nd Round  Eben Britton, OT Arizona  6-6, 310 (Jr.) It all depends on what you want out of him. If you’re looking for a left tackle to protect a quarterback’s blind side, there are going to be problems. He was fine in college, but he’s not athletic enough to be a consistent pass blocker against the faster pass rushers. In the pros, he’ll be tried out at left tackle, but he’ll have a long, solid career on the right side. Being labeled as a right-side-only tackle is the kiss of death, but it might not be a bad thing here. Britton is a very smart, very tough blocker who doesn’t make mistakes; his problems will come from simply not being an elite enough athlete. In a perfect world, there’s no reason to mess with it. Put him on the right side and sleep well for the next decade. When needed, put him on the left from time to time and he’ll be more than serviceable as long as it’s not for a full season. CFN Value Rank: First Round    CFN Position Rank: 4
8	72	3rd Round   Terrance Knighton, DT Temple  6-3, 321 With good size and good strength and toughness, he’s a good project player with excellent upside. He needs a lot of work, isn’t going to be a pass rusher, and he needs a lot of technique work, but he wants to get better and will do what he can to improve. While he won’t play on the nose, he could be a steady tackle or a 3-4 end. CFN Value Rank: Sixth Round    CFN Position Rank: 19
9	73	3rd Round (from Green Bay through New England)  Derek Cox, CB Williams & Mary 6-1, 180 Very fast and productive at the lower level, he has good size and nice measurables. While he'll gamble a bit and can be beaten by the crisper route runners, he has the basics to be worth a look as a project at corner and as a nickel or dime back because of his smarts and his range. While he's great with the ball in his hands, he took two of his four interceptions for touchdowns last year, he won't hit. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: NR
7	107	4th Round Mike Thomas, WR Arizona 5-8, 185 If he was two inches taller he might be seen as a first rounder. Cut, he’s extremely well built and is tough as nails. He’ll fight though injuries and will have to be dragged off the field. Ultra-productive for Arizona, he did a little of everything well and wasn’t afraid to catch the ball in traffic even at his size. The size, or lack of it, is a major factor, even though his phenomenal vertical leaping ability makes up for it a little bit. With 4.3 wheels, he could grow into a deep threat who punishes defenses for not paying attention to him. The intangibles are all there, but he’ll be dragged down because he’s just too short. CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round    CFN Position Rank: 14
8	144	5th Round Jarett Dillard, WR Rice 5-10, 185 Ultra-productive, he was unstoppable even when everyone was focused on stopping him. Part of the equation was the wide-open spread attack, and part of it was that Dillard was simply that good. He makes every catch, takes his game to another level when he’s trying to score, and will work his tail off. While he’s too small to not get beaten up, and he’s not a blazer, he jumps out of the stadium and plays much bigger than he is. He’ll stick on a roster because he’ll run every route needed, will catch every pass, and will do everything asked of him. But there’s a ceiling on what he can do because of his size and lack of top speed. CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round    CFN Position Rank: 16
7	180	6th Round Zach Miller, TE Nebraska-Omaha 6-4, 235 The former Nebraska Cornhusker is a good athlete with nice size and good hands. He's a pure H-Back who can stretch the field a bit. He's not a blocker, needs to get a lot stronger, and is 25-years-old. By the time he develops into a productive NFL player he might be around 28. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: NR
41	250	7th Round Rashad Jennings, RB Liberty 6-1, 235 The former Pitt Panther is one of the best bruisers in the draft and could be the best inside power runner available. He’s not going to break off any big runs and there’s not going to be anything fancy about what he does, but he could become a closer late in games and a goal line specialist. While his production might have come at Liberty, he didn’t wear down and was a great fighter game in and game out. He’s not going to be a feature-back, but he could be a sledgehammer of a No. 2 option with a little bit of refining. While he looks like a fullback right out of central casting off the field, he’s not exactly fluid on it. CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round    CFN Position Rank: 14
41	250	7th Round Tiquan Underwood, WR Rutgers 6-1 185 The running mate next to Kenny Britt, he’s a phenomenal athlete with jaw-dropping speed and leaping ability. He’s not nearly physical enough and will be knocked off a route by a soft breeze. Still raw, he has the upside to grow into a dangerous target if he gets the time to develop, but he doesn't run the full route tree and he'll be a one-trick receiver to start out his career. CFN Value Rank: Seventh Round    CFN Position Rank: 32

2008

The Draft Was ... A desperate plea for pass rushing help. Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves were two of the top pass rushing prospects in the draft and Jaguars got them, but they didn't get a defensive tackle and they traded away too much to move up to the eight to get Harvey. Both picks have to pan out, not just one, or else the draft could be a total flop.
Best Value Pick: Trae Williams, CB USF. 5th round. While everyone wanted USF CB Mike Jenkins, Williams was every bit as good a college player at times. He's not big and he's not as good as Jenkins, but he's not that far off.
Biggest Reach: Derrick Harvey, DE Florida. 1st round. USC LB Thomas Williams in the fifth was also a bit of a reach, but moving up to get a pass rusher who was as underwhelming as Harvey was last year was a bigger gamble than the coaching staff appears to be saying. Considering the Jags needed offensive line help, and there were a slew of great tackles on the board, Harvey had better be fantastic.
They Should've ... Gotten Jason Taylor from Miami. While there was talk about making a trade for the Dolphin star, it never happened. For a team that's thinking Super Bowl like the Jaguars are, a sure-thing like Taylor would've been better than a prospect like Harvey.

#	Pick
8	8	1st Round (from Baltimore)  Derrick Harvey, DE Florida While he looks like a pass rusher and has the athleticism and ability to become a top end, he still has to tap into his talent. Very strong and good against the run, he's not going to get moved around by the stronger tackles. The problem is his résumé. While he was good at Florida, he wasn't as dominant as he should've been and was far more hype than production when it was time to become the main man. While he was a good college player, there's a chance he could be much better pro talent after a little more coaching and a little more time in the weight room. There's an upside to him, but it's not quite as limitless as Phillip Merling or Vernon Gholston. CFN Value Rank: First Round   CFN Position Rank: 4

21

52

2nd Round (from Tampa Bay)   Quentin Groves, OLB/DE Auburn Groves is a textbook example of how lazy scouts can be. He came back for his senior year and was a bit of a disappointment, which led to him getting downgraded. Lost in the analysis by many was how Groves tried to play through dislocated toes, not just a toe, along with a shoulder. If used right, he's going to be a devastating pro with tremendous speed to be a perfect 3-4 outside linebacker/defensive end. He needs to turn up the intensity and he could get more physical against the run, but he's the type of toy defensive coordinators love to play with. CFN Value Rank: Second Round    CFN Position Rank: 5 (as a LB)

24	159	5th Round    Trae Williams, CB South Florida Overshadowed by running mate Mike Jenkins, Williams had just as productive a career as a terrific starter for almost four years. He was fantastic whenever anyone stayed away from Jenkins picking off 13 passes in the last two seasons alone and worked his tail off to become a better tackler. He has good speed, but not elite-level wheels, and he's a bit small and isn't too physical, but he's a good, sound defender who'll be good enough to stick around the league for a long time if he's in the right system. CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round       CFN Position Rank: 18
20	155	5th Round (from trade)  Thomas Williams, LB USC Considering he was a superstar, five-star recruit, he never played up to his expectations. A part-time player for the Trojans, he was never able to grab a starting spot by the horns even though he was productive when he got his chance. Even though he's athletic, he's not fast and he's not very big. He needs to make it on special teams. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent      CFN Position Rank: NR

6

213

Jacksonville (from trade)  Chauncey Washington, RB USC While he had some good post-season workouts to get on the draft map, he never showed the talent he was supposed to have at USC. A baby-soft inside runner considering his 210-pound body, he also lacks the speed to do anything flashy. However, there is an upside. If he really wants to work at it and really gets fired up about being a possible pro back, he could eventually be a No. 3 back. Eventually. CFN Value Rank: Seventh Round   CFN Position Rank: 25