NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

2016 NFL Draft: Washington Redskins or Jacksonville Jaguars with 1st pick?

By Dan Salem

facebooktwitterreddit

Only one team will be the worst this season and ‘win’ the coveted first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Will it be the Washington Redskins or Jacksonville Jaguars? From bad to worse to the best player next year. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Check out more of the brothers in Seesaw Sports Debate on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.

TODD:

Who is more likely to finish with the league’s worst record and grab the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins or the Jacksonville Jaguars?

It’s hard to predict exactly who is going to be terrible. Prior to last season, vibes surrounding both the Tennessee Titans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were very positive. Instead, the two finished the year with the two worst records.

ALSO ON SPINZONE: Ranking the 30 Greatest QBs of All-time

I expect some level of bounce-back from both those squads, which is why I failed to include them in this matchup. I also failed to include the Oakland Raiders because I love Derek Carr, as do you, and I think they’re on the up-and-up.

Jacksonville and Washington were also both bad last season. Unlike the previously mentioned squads though, little was done to think that will end in 2015.

Jacksonville has been dreadful for a long while. The Jags have shown the tiniest glimpses of maybe becoming competitive, but nothing has done enough to move the needle. Now entering year two with Blake Bortles behind center, it may be more of the same.

I like the young receiving corp of Jax, and Julius Thomas is a good addition, but where are the game-breakers on this club? At least Washington has that going for it. In fact, the Skins have a number of useful players on both sides of the ball. The defense is a rather large question mark though. In 2014, only one team in the entire conference allowed more points than Washington’s 438. Actually, only one team scored fewer than its 301 points as well, leading to the Skins having the worst point differential in the NFC. The season was an out-and-out disaster.

Some semblance of continuity should return in the second year under a new staff. A pick for the Redskins in this debate may just come down to a pick that Robert Griffin is going to fail yet again at quarterback. I don’t really believe in him, but I also don’t know he is going to fail.

I have to go with Jacksonville as the likeliest team to win the NFL Draft’s number-one overall selection. It seems to have the least talent; that’s a fair starting point for me.

Sep 14, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver

Ryan Grant

(14) attempts to catch the ball as Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback

Dwayne Gratz

(27) defends at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

DAN:

Its funny debating the most highly coveted draft position at a time when no one, absolutely no one, wants it. The first pick in the 2016 draft is the worst and last thing fans, players, coaches, and front office personnel want for their team. The caveat being its July. By the time December rolls around the tables will have flipped, but will the Redskins or the Jaguars be the ones cruising towards the best college prospect the 2016 draft has to offer?

More from NFL

The biggest unknowns for both of these football teams are the offensive and defensive lines. It’s hard to see them improving dramatically from last season. There is a lot to like about the skill position players on both squads, yet once again, the quarterback is a question mark for both. Ultimately this comes down to youth versus old age and schedules as I see them.

I’m a Robert Griffin III fan and honestly believe he can find success in the NFL. Unfortunately it will not be with the Washington Redskins. The Redskins finish with the worst record and ‘win’ the first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, in spite of RG III’s best efforts and a solid season on his part. The team is not good enough to beat the other teams on its surprisingly difficult schedule.

Some of the Redskins’ draft picks will likely pan out, but none scream instant impact. Alfred Morris‘ numbers have declined every season, rather consistently over his time in the league. Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson are both entering their 8th seasons in the league. But ultimately Washington faces only one team that is likely to finish with a losing record, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week seven. The Giants and Jets might, but they are each looking better than the Redskins. I just don’t see where the wins come from in Washington.

The opposite is true in Jacksonville. Julius Thomas should make a huge difference for a young quarterback that desperately needs a reliable target to throw to. The set of running backs on the Jaguars also has a ton of potential. But ultimately the Jaguars not only get to play the Buccaneers, but also the Titans and Texans twice. Their division is infinitely easier and Jacksonville should squeeze out an extra win or two because of it.

You just talked me into completely hating on both of these teams. Yet the facts are pretty scary for fans of either one. Hard schedules for average teams equal really bad records. But only the Redskins will be picking first next year.

Dan Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp, and a New York Jets Analyst for Pro Football Spot. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp, a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, and an Analyst for Tipster Labs, among others. Follow him on Twitter.

Next: 2016 Super Bowl Predictions- Patriots or Seahawks left out?

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/NFL