Jacksonville Jaguars: Rookie Class is Still Loaded With Talent

By Dan Schmelzer | May 14, 2015

Starting with selecting Dante Fowler Jr. with the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars left the weekend with an impressive crop of talent. Fowler was considered by many to be the best defensive prospect in this draft class, and his versatility and pass rush abilities makes him a slam dunk going forward.

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Unfortunately, less than an hour into Jaguars’ Rookie Mini Camp, Fowler suffered a torn ACL in his left knee which will hold him out of his entire rookie season. Obviously, the loss of Fowler will have an impact for the Jaguars. It is a huge to lose the third overall pick in the draft well before Training Camp even starts. However, the Jaguars drafted very well, and this rookie class is still in very good shape.

Second round pick (36th overall) T.J. Yeldon was the third running back selected in the 2015 draft, and he looks to be ready to make a huge impact for the Jaguars right away. Yeldon is a balanced back with very good skills across the board. He has great footwork in the backfield, and shows impressive vision and patience. This makes Yeldon a great fit for the Jaguars’ zone blocking system.

Yeldon does not have overly impressive power or breakaway speed, but he is adequate in both of those departments. He does a very nice job of finding the open space and taking advantage of what the defense gives him. Yeldon also always seems to be moving forward on contact, picking up extra yardage that cannot always be expected.

Last year’s free agent addition Toby Gerhart was a complete bust at the running back position. Denard Robinson was pretty good when given an opportunity, but his lack of size, and constant durability concerns causes many to doubt his ability to be more than a change of pace back. Yeldon has the talent to become a featured back for the Jaguars, and potentially a very good one at that.

In the third round, the Jaguars selected A.J. Cann, who many considered to be the best pure offensive guard prospect in the draft. Before the draft, Cann seemed to be a sure-fire second round prospect, with sneaking in to the first round a slight possibility. Landing him in the third round was great value for the Jaguars.

Sep 27, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Shane Ray (56) looks to get past the block by South Carolina Gamecocks guard A.J. Cann (50) during the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Missouri wins in the final minutes 21-20 over South Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

We all know that the Jaguars’ offensive line struggled mightily last season, but it is kind of difficult to see where Cann fits in right away. Last year’s third round pick Brandon Linder had a great rookie season, and seems to be locked into the right guard position. Left guard Zane Beadles was far from perfect last season, but it is hard to see the Jaguars giving up on him after signing him to a 5-year, $30 million contract about a year ago.

Cann has ideal strength and quickness for the offensive guard position, shows great technique and is simply a very consistent and solid player. This was a great value pick by Jacksonville, and while it is difficult to see how he will fit in immediately, Cann is certainly a nice player to have around.

The Jaguars selected safety James Sample early in the fourth round. While it certainly was not surprising to see the Jaguars take a safety in this draft, Sample seemed to be an odd fit. He spent most of his college career as an in-the-box strong safety, a position that is already filled by John Cyprien for the Jaguars. The need is at free safety, and it appears that Sample will be competing with Sergio Brown for that starting position.

Sample is a very talented player, who has shown nice coverage skills in spurts. That being said, he is a raw player who shows inconsistent technique. Sample certainly has a chance to be a very good player for the Jaguars down the line, but it may be stretch to expect him to be the day one starter at free safety.

Fifth round pick Rashad Greene will enter the competition for playing time in the Jaguars’ receiving core. Greene is a quick receiver with great run-after-catch abilities. He has shown the ability to play both on the inside and outside, but Greene is probably best suited to make his impact right away as a slot receiver. This pick also brought very nice value.

Perhaps the best value that the Jaguars found in the draft was when they selected defensive tackle Michael Bennett in the sixth round. Bennett was projected as a second round pick by most in the industry, but slipped down the draft board due to lack of position versatility.

Jan 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Blake Sims (6) is sacked by Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Michael Bennett (53) in the 2015 Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Bennett is strictly a three-technique defensive tackle, but he has huge upside at the position. Bennett is a great interior pass rusher with an explosive first step, and a natural ability to shake blockers. His path to playing time may be partially blocked by Sen’Derrick Marks and Jared Odrick, but head coach Gus Bradley loves having pass rush weapons up front. Bennett will find his way on the field, albeit probably in a limited role.

The Jaguars did an incredible job of finding prime value in this draft. They had a lot of holes on the roster, so many of these players fit in immediately. The loss of Fowler is terrible no matter how you look at it, but the Jaguars are still in a very nice position to get major impact out of their rookie class.

Next: What Does Fowler Injury Mean to Jaguars?

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