The Jacksonville Jaguars 2019 NFL Draft class is now complete. Tom Coughlin and Dave Caldwell did their best to add the right pieces to the team. In fact the Jags were the recipients of some good fortune in the early rounds, landing what many consider two first rounders. Here’s a look at each of the seven new Jaguars:
- First round, 7th overall: Josh Allen, edge/linebacker, Kentucky
- Second round, 35th overall: Jawaan Taylor, offensive tackle, Florida
- Third round, 69th overall: Josh Oliver, tight end, San Jose State
- Third round, 98th overall: Quincy Williams, linebacker, Murray State
- Fifth round, 140th overall: Ryquell Armstead, running back, Temple
- Sixth round, 178th overall: Gardner Minshew, quarterback, Washington State
- Seventh round, 235th overall: Dontavius Russell, defensive tackle, Auburn
Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Draft Grade: 9.2/10
Jacksonville Jaguars 2019 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player: Josh Allen
Jaguars fans were feeling lucky Thursday night when the seventh pick came around. Josh Allen was thought by many to be a top-five pick in this year’s draft. After “falling” just two spots lower, the Jaguars had no choice but to pick one of the premier defenders in this year’s draft.
Allen could easily have gone to the Oakland Raiders, but the Jags were lucky. Allen can play either linebacker or edge rusher. He has the ability to drop into coverage and was a sack artist, producing 17 sacks in his senior year. Allen is a good replacement for Dante Fowler, and could easily be an upgrade. Pair Allen with Yannick Ngakoue and you have a scary pass rushing duo.
Allen has the chance to be an All-Pro in the NFL and he should make an immediate impact in Duval.
The Steal: Jawaan Taylor
If the Jaguars were lucky to get Allen, then Taylor was the steal of their draft. They traded up a few spots in the second round to get the tackle. But many analysts thought Taylor was a first rounder. In fact, many mock drafts had Taylor going to the Jags at seventh overall. For that reason, Taylor was a steal and the team essentially walked away with two first rounders.
So why did Taylor fall? The easiest answer is the buzz around Taylor’s knee. He had a torn meniscus in 2017 but did play on it until the offseason when he had surgery to repair it. But the Jaguars’ brass expressed confidence in Taylor and didn’t have any medical concerns for him.
The Surprise: Quincy Williams
Upon selection, it was definitely a surprise for the Jags to pick Williams with their second third-round pick. Linebacker was a position of need, but Quincy who? The pick was strange to many for the simple fact that it was obscure. The commentators on television mainly knew that Williams was the older brother of number three overall pick, Quinnen Williams.
Williams even stated to media members that he thought he may go undrafted. There were definitely higher rated players on the board that the team could have gone with at the time. But they chose Williams. Ian Rappoport did report that other teams were interested in Williams. The pick was surely a reach, but Williams could turn out well. Check out his highlight video, which was posted by Williams himself. He’s quite speedy and attacks the ball.
Most Likely to Turn Heads During Training Camp: Josh Oliver
This category could frankly be any number of the 2019 class. But Oliver certainly has the chance to turn heads during training camp. The big tight end out of San Jose State had an impressive one-handed grab at the combine this year.
Oliver’s production wasn’t the best in college, as he only had 38 receptions with seven touchdowns, albeit in only 30 games. He needs more development as a blocker but he could eventually work his way into the starting role. Nick Foles likes using tight ends and training camp will be a good time to start building chemistry.
The Rest
The Jaguars used their fifth-round pick on running back Ryquell Armstead. The Jags running back stable is getting full, but Armstead could become the backup to injury prone Leonard Fournette. He’s similar in size to Fournette at 5’11” and 220 lbs.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew was drafted in the sixth round by the Jaguars. It’s possible this pick could be seen as a steal in years to come. He was fifth in Heisman voting for 2018 just behind Will Grier.
The final pick for the Jaguars was a defensive tackle out of Auburn. Dontavius Russell will need to fight to make the 53 man roster, but he’ll at least be good competition during training camp.
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