Jacksonville Jaguars ‘really like’ Jimmy Garoppolo
Eastern Illinois Panthers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) after fumbling the ball. USA Today Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars have one of the best, rising HC-GM combinations in the league in Gus Bradley and David Caldwell, so the organization is definitely in safe hands as their rebuild continues. We’ve generally been under the impression that Caldwell is a great GM who knows what he’s doing and won’t sacrifice the team’s future by drafting a quarterback for the sake of drafting one. This has led many to believe that it’s more likely for the Jaguars to wait on a first round quarterback this year, and at this point most people believe that the Jaguars will take a QB in the second round after snagging a top player at another position in the first; there are even some rumblings that they could trade down if the price is right.
Right now, the focus is on the second-tier QBs and QBs who could slip into the second round for the Jaguars, and one of those QBs worth focusing in on the closest is Eastern Illinois product Jimmy Garoppolo. The MMQB’s Peter King reports that the Jaguars “really like” Garoppolo, so there’s a chance the Jaguars could scoop him up in the second.
I think the best kind of draft for the Jaguars would have them pulling a guy like Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack in the first and then a quarterback like Derek Carr or Teddy Bridgewater if one of them (I highly doubt it’s Bridgewater) slips into the second. Heck, I wouldn’t see an issue with snagging Blake Bortles there. King adds in his piece that more QBs could be taken in the second than the first, and Garoppolo will likely be part of that run on second-round QBs. If the Jaguars are sold on him as the pick in the 2nd, then I definitely trust their judgment. However, I’m not a big fan of Garoppolo, because he is only a so-so decision-maker who struggles under pressure. To his credit, he has a nice release, solid zip, and good placement. I think he’s worth the pick for the Jaguars, but I believe he’s a project at this point. But if the Jaguars “really like” him and don’t want to pay premium for a passer, then they should add on Garoppolo.
King also reports that the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, and Cleveland Browns are also considering taking passers with second and third-round picks instead of snagging one in the top five.