2012 Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Draft and Offseason Recap, Grades, and Analysis
Draft Picks Analysis and Scouting Reports
1. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Pre-season report:
An absolute beast at the wide receiver position who is considered one of the top two receiver prospects for next year, and one of the top overall prospects in the entire potential 2012 class of players. Broke out as a redshirt sophomore in 2010 with 111 receptions for 1,782 yards, 20 touchdowns, a 16.1 yards per reception average, and a 69 yard rushing touchdown. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Blackmon’s sophomore season was that he did not go a single game without 100 yards or more receiving. If he were to out-do himself, it’s that he didn’t go a single game without catching a touchdown pass despite being the focus of opposing defensive units. Blackmon is a guy who is going to be a high pick in the draft barring significant injury or character flaws. He was arrested for a DUI in late October, but hopefully he can push that issue behind him, as stupid as it is. He should be one of the top offensive players in the country in 2011 with stability at the quarterback position and a healthy season.
PROS: Nose for the end zone…great athletic ability…finds a way to get open consistently despite constant double teams…playmaker…reliable hands..smart receiver…yards after the catch….punt return ability….can beat press coverage…great production….consistent performer…tracks the ball well and catches it at its highest point…
CONS: Slightly shorter than “elite” wide receiver prospect, but that won’t limit him….Slightly limited route tree at OKST…DUI Arrest…players that are as physical as Blackmon are often get beat up and miss games in the N.F.L. (Dez Bryant, Anquan Boldin, Hakeem Nicks all excellent WR but all have missed games because of nagging injuries every year)
Pick Analysis: The Jaguars needed to make this pick. Justin Blackmon was probably the best receiver on the board in this year’s crop of players and this was a major area of weakness. By adding Blackmon, the Jaguars have given young Blaine Gabbert some much needed support in the passing game, an area where last year they were absolutely the worst in the NFL. Quickly, with Blackmon, Robinson, and Lee Evans in the fray, this could become an area of strength and really help Gabbert progress.
Pre-season report:
Branch had an OK year last year as a junior when he had 55 tackles, five sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, an astounding seven passes broken up, and 16 hurries on the quarterback. He has all the talent needed to make an impact in the NFL, but will he have the elite production to back it up? Branch’s 6’5″ 265 pound frame is absolutely ideal for the position going forward in a 4-3 scheme. He’s pretty quick for his size, and he definitely knows how to close in on a play. Obviously there are only so many sacks to go around, and Bowers used up a lot of them, but I expect Branch’s number to increase in 2011 as he emerges into a leadership role on the Clemson defense. It’s become clear that Branch was ready for an increased role in the Clemson defense, as he already has 8.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss through 11/10/11. Utilizes solid hand placement and had a sack out of a two-point stance against Virginia Tech (’11) the best game of his career. At this point, he still doesn’t have a great feel for the game, but that will come in time. He has so much natural talent and should be a very good pass rusher in the NFL out of either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme.
PROS: Quickness off the ball, length, overall NFL size, potential for scheme versatility, pretty good athlete, makes plays both in running and passing game, athleticism can wear on defenders as the game progresses, obviously well-conditioned
CONS: Tendency to whiff, can get dominated at POA, roughly half of season sacks came in one game, needs to continue to mature as a player, limited sample size, doesn’t have a problem getting upfield in a hurry, but sometimes needs to work more at closing in on QB and not relying on broken play sacks
Pick Analysis: The Jaguars desperately needed to upgrade their pass rush, which took a huge dive after Aaron Kampman went down with injury. I’m not sure at this stage of his career that they can count on him for much more than rotational production, so getting a good weak-side defensive end was a must for Jacksonville. Branch is a big, long, talented kid who has a ton of ability and I think they got him at a good value. This should turn out to be a solid pick in the 2nd round.
3. Bryan Anger, P, California
Pick Analysis: The third round is abnormally high to pick a punter, but I had Anger in the top 100 of my final rankings so I think the third round is not a bad range for him. You can get good punters in the undrafted pool, but the Jaguars obviously saw/see something special in Anger, who has a huge leg and was 1st-team All Pac 12/Pac 10 for three straight years, the first player to do so. He has a booming leg and having a good punter is a really underrated aspect of the NFL. If you can pin opponents deep, it’s a huge asset to have especially with the Jaguars, who will need to win the field position battle to win games with a young quarterback who is still really raw and developing. I can’t say I think this is a bad pick, because it’s not. Players with Anger’s skill are rare, and you can try to hit and miss with punters if you want, but why not take a sure thing? This isn’t a waste of a pick by any means, and I actually think the Jaguars got a really good player here.
4. Brandon M. Marshall, LB, Nevada
Pick Analysis: The Jaguars need some depth at the linebacker position, and Brandon M. Marshall actually has a chance to compete right away for a starting position. At 6’1″ 245 pounds, he has really good size to play inside or outside if they want him to, and he finished last year with 102 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and four passes broken up. Marshall plays with attitude, and has a mean streak about him that the Jagaurs will love, especially on special teams right away. He is a big, physical kid who will be really effective around the line of scrimmage, and while he’s not great in coverage, he has a nose for the ball and is a really smart player. For the Jaguars, I think this is a really solid mid-round pick, getting a guy who will give you depth and special teams ability right away, with the potential to start maybe even early on in his career.
5. Mike Harris, CB, Florida State
Pick Analysis: This could wind up being a really solid pick for the Jaguars. They don’t have a ton of holes in their secondary, but they have depth issues and I think Harris has a ton of upside. Former Community College transfer who came to Florida State and had an immediate impact, racking up 99 tackles, 15 passes defended, and five interceptions in just two seasons at FSU. The Seminoles had a pretty dominant defense (ranked 4th nationally) and despite the deficiencies of the offense throughout the season, I think Harris and the guys on the defensive side of the ball held up really well. He doesn’t have ideal speed for a corner but he’s instinctive and has solid ball skills. He’s just under 6-feet tall and 188 pounds, and ran a 4.53 at the FSU pro day. With a 36-inch vertical, I think he has good enough athletic ability to step in and be a special teams ace at the beginning of his career. The Jags seem to be very good at developing young cornerbacks into solid players, and Harris has a good chance to succeed here.
6. Jeris Pendleton, DL, Ashland
It simply wouldn’t be a Jaguars offseason without them adding some type of small-school sleeper, so it’s good that they finally got one in here. Jeris Pendleton is a little-known defensive tackle who originally intended to go to Michigan State before family matters took him to a junior college. He spent a couple years there and wound up playing two years at Ashland where he was considered one of the most dominant players at his position in the conference. At 6’2″ 328 pounds, he has great size but it’s his athletic ability that likely attracted the Jaguars. He ran a sub-5 second 40 yard dash and posted a 30-inch vertical leap. That matters because it shows that Pendleton has really good explosion to work with, and the Jaguars are also good at developing young defensive tackles. The problem is, Pendleton will be 28 soon, so he’s got a little bit of that Brandon Weeden feel to him. He will have to get in the rotation right away, which will be tough because of the drastic change of the level of competition.