Chop Block... 2007 Jacksonville Jaguars MB Mock Draft Champion

1. S Kenny Phillips, Miami, 6-2, 212, 4.55- with the top 4 DE's gone and so many questions about the remaining guys, the Jags grab Phillips, who is regarded as the best safety in the draft.  This pick provides the Jags with a potential starter at Strong Safety, and at the very least some much needed depth at both Safety positions.

2. DE Jason Jones, Eastern Mich, 6-5, 273, 4.74-  Del Rio stated the Jags would not reach in the first round for a DE.  That could be a hint.  Jason Jones may not start immediately, but he will add some much needed pressure on the QB and has lots of upside.  I think the Jags also draft another DE or trade for one from another team before the season starts. 

3.  OT Anthony Collins, Kansas, 6-5, 317- drafted to compete with Khaliff Barnes at LT and to add overall depth to OL.  This pick could come in the 2nd round if Jason Jones is not available.

3. TE John Carlson, Notre Dame, 6-5, 255, 4.75- the Jags are surprised when this highly rated TE drops this far in the draft.  They snatch him up as an upgrade to Wrighster, who may still be recovering from his knee injury.  Marcedes Lewis, John Carlson and Greg Estandia.. looks like a great trio at TE. 

Other rounds:

4. DT Frank Okam, Texas - added depth and competition for DL.

5. LB Bryan Kehl, BYU- had a great Pro Day and opened eyes, could be 4th rnd.

5. SS Caleb Campbell, Army- more depth at Safety and special teams player

5. RB Cory Boyd, South Carolina- tough runner and good hands for 3rd RB spot.

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Jaguars Mock draft 4/3/2008

1) Calais Campbell, DE         Miami             6’8”  290lbs.   5.03/40 – Bigger than prototype size and good athleticism.  Vanished at times this past season.  Was considered a top 10 pick after his Sophomore season.  I am still convinced that he is far better than his workouts.

2) Dre Moore, DT     Maryland        6’4”   305lbs.  4.88/40 – Rough around the edges DT with elite athleticism.  Built more like a DE than a DT, but has a good base and strength to rival most DT’s in this draft class.  With more polish, he’d be a late First Rounder, IMO. 

3a) Brandon Keith OT/OG     Northern Iowa   6’5”  343lbs.   4.98/40 – Athletic O-Lineman with great size and an ability to play 3 positions across the OL.    With good coaching and improved technique, he could be very productive.  Shows elite athleticism. Has off-the-field issues and quit on multiple occasions while at Oklahoma.  Has the size to be a phonebooth mauler, but the athleticism to pull and get to the next level.  Interesting prospect that could be overdrafted based simply on his measurables.  Keith was a late 4^th / early 5^th round prospect before his workouts, but the workouts have bumped him at least a full round. 

3b) Tom Zbikowski, SS     Notre Dame   5’11”   209lbs.  4.55/40 – Experienced Safety with better-than-advertised coverage ability.  Big hitter with good hands and instincts.  Good Punt Returner.  Surprised many with his excellent workouts.  A true strong safety excels in the box, but is solid in coverage.  Production dropped off this season on a bad Notre Dame team.

4) Tommy Blake, DE   TCU   6’3”   272lbs.  4.78/40 – I don’t believe we can pass this guy up when he slides to us here.  A former first round talent, who’s of the field issues really hurt his game and his scale this past season.  Sought medical help for depression and anxiety and has worked very hard in the offseason to return to his prior form.  He’s not there yet, but with a close eye by the coaching staff and an NFL quality conditioning program, he could be a helluva player in the mold of Terrell Suggs. 

5a) Kevin O'Connell, QB   San Diego State   6'5"  225lbs.  4.61/40– This guy is a developmental prospect with big upside.  Good arm with good athleticism.  Not what you’d call a polished QB, but has all the physical tools and prototype size.  Definitely on the rise after showing well at the combine.  Clearly shows the athleticism at the position that Shack and Jack covet.  A season with Mike Shula will make O’Connell a very solid QB…sooner rather than later.

5b) Ben Moffitt, LB   South Florida   6’1”   234lbs.   4.58/40 – Very productive LB’er with the ability to play ILB or OLB.  Showed very well at his Pro Day after not running a 40 at the combine due to injury.  Ran a low time of 4.55/40 at his Pro Day with a 37.5” vertical.  Has the production and athleticism to be considered earlier, but the lack of need for us at LB will allow us to wait until the middle of the 5^th to grab him.

5c) Chauncey Washington, RB  USC  5’11”   211lbs.   4.38/40 – Good all-around prospect that was thought to have marginal speed…until his Pro Day.  He shocked scouts with times under 4.40 when he was expected to be at or around a 4.6/40.  Decent pass catcher out of the backfield, but downfield routes need work.  Averaged 5 ypc as a Senior and scored 10 TD’s.  Battle-tested prospect with Big-game experience coming out of Southern Cal.  May find it difficult to grasp an NFL playbook.  Not a perfect prospect by any means, but has first day talent.

6) To Minnesota

7) To  Seattle

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions

Round 1

(Jacksonville trades DOWN with Atlanta taking their  highest Second Round selection (#34) and the 2009 First)

Trevor Laws, DT: Quick, mean, hard working player that had an unbelievably productive Senior season on a horrendously bad team. Has experience playing a DT in a 4-3 and DE in a 3-4, so he can fill in as an "under" Tackle, and he can split out to set the edge. He's just as good a football player as Dorsey and Ellis, but his teams lack of success is what drops his stock.

Round 2 - Dre Moore, DT: The new breed of DT, Moore is built like a Tackle, but has the agility and quickness of an End. He is an on-again/off again player, but a lot of folks think that this is due mostly to him being such a late starter in football. If you can get him to turn it on full-time, you have yourself a world class DT here.

Round 3a - Darrell Robertson, DE: A tall, rangy DE that has been drawing comparisons with Jason Taylor. It will probably take a few years for him to really come into his own, but once he does, we just may have the DE of the future.

Round 3b - Tom Zbikowski, SS: A tough guy who has some agility to him, he will add yet another nasty disposition towards Offensive Players to the Defense. He is faster than you might think and has a good run -support history.

Round 4 - Dexter Jackson, WR: I just can't let this guy go by. Has light-switch quickness and posted a TD catch in each of Appalachian State's playoff games plus two TD's when he went up against the big boys (Michigan). It will take him a while to develop his route-running skills, but he could become the slot Receiver that Dennis Northcutt only wishes he could be.

Round 5a - Tommy Blake, DE: I know, I know, that's a lot of big guys, but if Blake is here, you almost have to take a flyer on him. He was easily a top 10 selection before his meltdown, and depression can be treated just like an ACL tear can. He's just too good to pass up.

Round 5b - Kevin O'Connel, QB: Phenomenal Triangle numbers for a guy that didn't play against top-notch competition. I think he shows some happy feet at times, but you can't question his arm or his speed. Why not give him the D. Garrard treatment and let him practice for 4 years?

Round 5c - Corey Lynch, FS: Unbelievably productive at a small school, this is Nick Sorenson that can actually play a little Safety. Bring the guy in and let's see what he can do.

Go heavy early. You do not maintain perfection, you work for it everyday.

1. SS Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas St -depth at Safety, possible starter at SS

2. DE Jason Jones, East Michigan- big, fast DE rising up the boards

3. RB Kevin Smith, Central Florida- very productive RB, groomed for later
3. LB Marcus Howard, Georgia- played DE in college, ran a 4.42, more pass rush

4. TE Kellen Lewis, Michigan St- big, fast, strong blocker...bye Wrighster 

5. CB Trae Williams, South Florida- continue to strengthen secondary
5. OT Tony Hills, Texas- talented OT who could develop into starter
5. WR Marcus Monk, Arkansas - 6'5" speedster from Arkansas...but a real WR 

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Here's my Final mock.  I've done a total 180 on Groves after reading the comments made about him the other day.  Granted, I interpreted the info differently than some others did, but nonetheless...

1) Quentin Groves, DE - Auburn:  Comments were made by Shack that he believes Groves can be an every-down DE in the NFL.  I tend to agree.  260 lbs seems to be the magic number and he was 259lbs at the combine, with room to grow.  He'll benefit now by having proven guys in front of him, in Spicer and Hayward.

2) Dre Moore, DT - Maryland: Ultra-athletic DT in a DE's body.  Certainly has the athleticism to play LDE, maybe even RDE.  Has the size and strength to hold the point and penetrate at DT.  Has HUGE upside as he is fairly new to football.  A good coaching staff will make this kid a monster.  I can see Ty Warren type numbers from him.

3a) Tracy Porter, CB - Indiana: Solid all around CB with very good speed.  A bigger version of Scott Starks with similar willingness to support in the run game.  Excellent ball-skills as evidenced by his 16 career INT's in a big time conference.  Shows good ability in the return game. 

3b) Tom Zbikowski, SS - Notre Dame: Good all-around safety prospect with better-than-advertised athleticism.  Has experience in big games on a big stage.  Better in the box than in coverage, but reads and drops better than he's given credit for.  Fills quickly against the run and has good range.  Immediate impact player on ST's both in the return game and in punt/kick coverage. 

4) Craig Stevens, TE - California:  Very strong, very athletic TE with solid ability as a pass-catcher and in-line blocker.  Very hard worker and solid character guy.  Shows good short-area quickness and long speed.  Not a huge producer in Cal's offense, but did have 7 career TD's. 

5a) Stanford Keglar, OLB - Purdue: Has good size and athleticism.  His sub-4.6/40 is backed up by his 39" vertical and 10'6" long jump.  Shows outstanding upper body strength (29 reps) and has HUGE power clean numbers (352 lbs).  Has solid, not outstanding, production.  Should provide more excellent depth at OLB and should be solid in Special Teams.

5b) Vincent Redd, DE/OLB - Liberty: Our yearly small-school prospect.  Size and athleticism you'd find in a First Rounder, but his lack of strength will keep him from rising much higher than the 4th-5th round.  He's certainly a developmental prospect, but how often do you get to draft a guy that is 6'6" and runs a sub 4.6/40 at over 260 lbs in the Fifth Round?

5c) Zackary Bowman, CB/FS - Nebraska:  This guy was a clear First Day selection prior to his injuries (he's had surgery on both knees).  We'd be taking him early here, as he likely won't contribute until 2009.  Has the size and speed to play either CB or FS.  Has good coverage ability and ran quite well considering that he's still rehabbing (4.43/40).  I see this as a Brian Smith situation where we draft him knowing he'll likely be on IR for the 2008 season and be ready to go in 2009.  Considering the depth we have on this team, picking a known jar-on-the-shelf here is a wise bit of strategy to build future talent. 

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions

Oh well, I got one right in the correct round at least--Trae Williams.  I did predict there would be some trades, too.  How did everybody else do?

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