Jacksonville Jaguars: Stay away from the 2019 quarterbacks class

The Jacksonville Jaguars are hurting at the quarterback position, and it’s clear that Blake Bortles is not the answer. But they should be staying away from the 2019 quarterback draft class.

Just 12 months ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were, in the truest sense of the term, “a quarterback away.” Coming off a narrow loss in the AFC Championship Game, the Jags stellar defense kept them afloat throughout the 2017 season. They needed a franchise quarterback to take over for Blake Bortles, but with a shut-down defense and star running back in Leonard Fournette, they were just one piece away from dominating the AFC South.

Since the end of the 2017 season, seemingly everything has fallen apart in Jacksonville. The Jaguars finished 3-13 last season, and will be picking No. 7 in the 2019 NFL Draft. As a team that needs a quarterback, the Jags, on the surface at least, caught a lucky break this year.

No team inside the top five really needs a quarterback this year. The New York Giants at No. 6 are the only team in need of a signal-caller. But looking under the hood a bit, the Jags should be avoiding a quarterback in the 2019 draft class.

This is not because the Jags don’t need a quarterback. Quite the opposite, actually. The aforementioned Bortles is one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league, and is the leading factor holding a team like Jacksonville back. Bortles threw just 13 touchdowns last year, which in itself is not very impressive. Compared to the 11 interceptions he threw, it moves out of “game manager” territory and into “bad quarterback” territory.

And yet, the Jaguars might be better off keeping him for one more year. The 2019 draft class is a group that, at best, is full of unknowns. There is no sure-fire, can’t-miss quarterback prospect in this class. The one that was the closest, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, decided to go back to school. Teams needing quarterbacks this year will have to choose between Ohio State’s relatively unexperienced starter, Dwayne Haskins, or the 5-9 Kyler Murray, from Oklahoma.

A team like the Jags, who were this close to making the Super Bowl just over a year ago, should not be taking a chance on a Haskins or Murray. If they absolutely must move on from Bortles, there are a few free agent quarterbacks who would probably work fine for just a year. And, if the Jaguars are willing to wait one more season, the rewards could be great.

In 2020, Georgia’s Jake Fromm will most likely be entering the NFL Draft. Fromm is getting love from scouts that, save from Andrew Luck and John Elway, is unprecedented. General managers are already trying to secure the rights to be able to draft Fromm, and the Jaguars should absolutely be one of the teams trying to get into the running for Fromm’s services.

This isn’t to say that the Jaguars should be gun-shy, or that they should tank. More so, that they should be collecting draft capital to make a move for Fromm next year. Someone is going to fall in love with the 2019 quarterback class, and the Jags could be a conduit for a huge deal.

If Jacksonville can get a haul for the No. 7 overall pick and start stocking up on ammunition to make a move for Fromm, they should absolutely pull the trigger. The Jags can return to that 2017 form, and maybe even go further. But in order to do that, they need to stay away from the current quarterback class and bide their time. It will, almost certainly, work out in their favor.