Chris Ransom grades the Jacksonville Jaguars 2015 NFL Draft. What will Jacksonville do without Dante Fowler in 2015?
3. Dante Fowler, LE, Florida B Grade
I gave Fowler a B+ grade originally. Fowler tore an ACL in his left knee and is done for the year. There's no guarantee he recovers which is why I moved this grade down to a B grade.
Jacksonville needed a 4-3 left end to start across from Chris Clemons. Dante Fowler can also play the LEO at right end. Dante Fowler is the only pass rusher with the size of a defensive end in this years draft. Fowler can also play outside linebacker on either side in a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense.
Fowler is not known for his ability to get double digit sacks, but he can rush the quarterback, stop the run, or drop back in coverage. Something tells me that Fowler could be a Pro Bowler if you put him at left outside linebacker in a 4-3 like Von Miller did when he first started out. In the end, I think Fowler is a defensive end at either right end or left end more likely left end.
It really comes down to how Jacksonville does in 2015. If they are picking high enough to draft Joey Bosa, Robert Nkemdiche, or Shawn Oakman then I think you make one of those guys your LEO at right end to replace Chris Clemons and keep Fowler at left end or left outside linebacker when he returns in 2016. For now, Jacksonville has to play this season without their top draft pick which is a huge blow.
36. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama C Grade
T.J. Yeldon was a 2 down back at Alabama where he split carries with Derrick Henry who may be a first round running back in the 2016 NFL Draft. Henry had 990 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Yeldon had 978 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
One can debate whether Henry was better than Yeldon. I thought running backs like Jeremy Langford, Tevin Coleman, and Jay Ajayi would have been better selections. Ajayi and Coleman both had durability issues which lowered their draft stock. Still, I felt like Yeldon was a guy the Jaguars got in Round 3.
I get that Yeldon was in the conversation with Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon as the only 3 down backs in this years draft that warranted first round grades. Yeldon didn't live up to the hype this year despite having a better freshman and sophomore season. Call me crazy, but I think LT and some of the guys on NFL Network had some Nick Saban Kool Aid when raving about Yeldon after the Jaguars selected him in the second round.
67. A.J. Cann, LG, South Carolina B Grade
A.J. Cann is one of the most complete interior offensive linemen in this years draft. He has the versatility to play left guard, center, or right guard.
Jacksonville has Zane Beadles at left guard, Stephen Wisniewski at center, and Brandon Linder at right guard. Right now, I've got Cann as a backup interior offensive lineman at all 3 positions with him being used as a backup left guard for the time being mainly because Cann played left guard at South Carolina.
Cann probably will move over to center or right guard if Wisniewski gets injured at center or if Linder regresses in year 2 at right guard. For now, I have Cann lined up as a backup left guard with the ability to be used as a center or right guard if one of the starters gets injured.
Jacksonville deserves an A grade for drafting for value, but they also deserve a C grade for not getting a starter in Round 3. Average those two grades out and you get a solid B grade for a nice selection.
104. James Sample, FS, Louisville C Grade
I originally gave the Jaguars a D grade for taking James Sample. I decided to change this pick to a C grade after remembering that the Jaguars were high on James Sample.
Someone from the Jaguars team website interviewed the teams head scout and asked him to break down prospects for the fans. When breaking down the safeties, James Sample was a guy Jacksonville was very high on. The Jaguars believed James Sample was the best safety in this draft after Landon Collins, and Collins received a first round grade from Jacksonville as the Jaguars had him as the 22nd best player on their draft board going to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the Jaguars were prepared for Dorial Green-Beckham to go to the Titans at 33 and the Buccaneers to go with an offensive tackle at 34 allowing them to get Landon Collins at 35 with Alabama's coveted safety falling out of the first round before taking T.J. Yeldon at 67. Jacksonville knew the Titans wouldn't trade with them, and that the Titans were likely going to take a WR for Mariota without trading down. Relying on Collins to fall to the Jaguars backfired since the New York Giants traded up for Landon Collins at 33, this screwed up the Jaguars draft strategy entirely, which led Jacksonville to reach for Yeldon before taking Sample in the fourth round.
I'm not sure if Landon Collins would have made the transition to FS in Jacksonville after playing SS at Alabama. Bonus points to Tom Coughlin for burning bridges with the Jaguars as the Giants traded up for Collins.
139. Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State A+ Grade
Jacksonville got Cecil Shorts in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. So for Jacksonville to get Rashad Greene who was ev en more talented a round later after shorts was drafted speaks volumes.
Greene had 270 career receptions and a minimum of 76 receptions during his final two seasons in 2013 and 2014. 166 of his 270 career receptions came in his final two years with the Seminoles with Jameis Winston at quarterback. Both of Greene's seasons with over 1,100 receiving yards came with Winston throwing him the football.
Rashad Greene is an excellent route runner that can stretch the field and will get you as many as 6 receiving touchdowns per year. He's not a red zone threat that gets you double digit touchdowns with around 10 or more receiving touchdowns. Greene also struggles in man and press against quality corners, as a majority of his passes are caught from route running, along with corners missing their assignment in zone coverage due to Greene's deadly speed. Kevin Johnson out of Wake Forest and Ladarius Gunter out of Miami FL had Greene's number on tape.
Jacksonville can take a flyer on Greene with an abundance of wide receivers like Justin Blackmon, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, and Allen Hurns. Jacksonville also has Julius Thomas at tight end now, so Greene's roll will be limited with the Jaguars.
180. Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State A+ Grade
Michael Bennett was a late second round talent. Bennett is undersized and is considered a 4-3 only player. Even though I had this guy as a second to third round pick, he should have gone in the top 150 let alone the top 100.
Gus Bradley hopes that Michael Bennett will become as good as the other Michael Bennett he coached when he was the defensive coordinator in Seattle. For now Bennett will be Ziggy Hood's backup defensive tackle. Bennett is capable of taking Hood's job by seasons end.
220. Neal Sterling, WR, Monmouth B Grade
Neal Sterling is a tweener at wide receiver/tight end with his size. The Small school receiver has excellent tape and kind of reminds me of Shannon Sharpe coming out of Savannah State. Sterling also dominated at Monmouth's Pro Day.
Imagine a tweeter like Sharpe that's not as big as Shannon, but has the speed and size to play special teams as a kick returner and a punt returner. That's what Sterling brings with this pick allowing Rashad Greene to strictly focus on wide receiver.
229. Ben Koyack, TE, Notre Dame A+ Grade
I love this pick. This was an excellent late round pick as I had Koyack graded out as my #4 tight end behind Maxx Williams, Devin Funchess, and Clive Walford.
Koyack is the next great Notre Dame tight end ready for the NFL. His best games in 2014 came against PAC 12 schools like Stanford and Arizona State.
Worst case scenario, Koyack is a third string blocking tight end. Best case scenario, Koyack goes on to become a premier #2 tight end that does an awesome job complimenting Julius Thomas in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Jaguars Team Grade: C Grade
Dante Fowler is out for the year. Jacksonville may have drafted him hoping for a pure 4-3 right end. I just get this strange feeling that he stays at left end or goes to left outside linebacker like Von Miller did when Denver ran the 4-3, because the Jaguars could easily win the Joey Bosa sweepstakes in 2015 for the 2016 NFL Draft by finishing with the leagues worst record.
I don't think T.J. Yeldon is the 3 down running back that the media is making him out to be. There were other teams that got better value at running back in the later rounds.
Sure the Jaguars had an epic Day 3 of the NFL Draft, but it's almost like Jaguars' GM David Caldwell was in a coma until May 2, 2015. The Jaguars had 3 big needs this offseason. Find a pass rusher to start at left end, get a right tackle to compliment Luke Joeckel, and get a running back.
The Jaguars overpaid Dallas Cowboys backup right tackle Jeremy Parnell in Free Agency, they took Dante Fowler instead of Leonard Williams or Randy Gregory who were the next 2 best prospects on their draft board before Gregory got busted for smoking pot. Then the Jaguars reached for T.J. Yeldon and there were better running backs available. It's almost like the Jaguars ignored all of their offseason needs completely and are back at phase 1 entering the 2015 Regular Season.
Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 NFL Draft Grades
Posted By Chris Ransom on 5/13/2014
Chris Ransom breaks down the Jaguars 2014 NFL Draft grades.
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Chris Ransom on 5/9/2015
Jacksonville Jaguars 2015 NFL Draft Grades
B Grade
C Grade
B Grade
C Grade
A+ Grade
A+ Grade
B Grade
A+ Grade
