Jacksonville Jaguars 1st Round Options: 2013 NFL Draft

Jan 18, 2013; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley, owner Shad Khan and general manager Dave Caldwell pose for photos after at a press conference at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Last year the Jacksonville Jaguars were an all around bad team. They had a lot of of problems at the QB position and their best player in Maurice Jones-Drew was hurt for a lot of the year. Outside of Eugene Monroe, their offensive line isn’t very good at all. They got the least amount of sacks of any team in the NFL and had the third worst defense by points scored in the entire NFL. They also gave up the 3rd most rushing yards in the NFL. There were some promising things to look at. When MJD was healthy he was still his old self. Even though he started slow, Justin Blackmon looked good down the stretch and put up good numbers for a rookie WR, while Cecil Shorts also put up a very strong year from the WR position. Marcedes Lewis is a pro bowl caliber TE when he wants to be.  Lets look at 5 guys who could be taken with the Jags 1st round pick this year.

Dec 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (12) drops back to pass during the second quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Geno Smith – Blaine Gabbert hasn’t exactly panned out into what the Jaguars thought he would when they took him with the 8th pick of the 2011 draft. Chad Henne is nothing more than a band aid on that team and isn’t an option for the future. Gabbert did improve in almost every area before getting hurt after 10 games, but I still don’t see him as a legit starter in the NFL. Geno Smith has all the tools to be an very good NFL starter. He has the arm and the accuracy to make all the throws. He does need to work on his footwork and since the Jaguars are rebuilding they could sit him behind Henne for a year to learn.