Top 10 All Time Jags Draft Busts

[Metro Jacksonville]

Top 10 All Time Jags Draft Busts



NFL draft day hasn't been too kind to the Jacksonville Jaguars over the last decade. Here are a few Jags selections taken before NFL stars Aaron Rodgers, Frank Gore, JJ Watt and Troy Polamalu. Today, here's a list of the top 10 all time Jags draft busts.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-jan-top-10-all-time-jags-draft-busts

[spuwho]

Here is hoping that the Jags analytics team run by Shadhid's son has a better handle on the talent pool.

Of all of them Matt Jones is the one that really baffles me the most.

While drafting punters high is not the norm, I dont consider Bryan Anger a bust because he is still active.

[aaapolito]

The most alarming thing about this list is that almost all of them were first round picks.  It is clear that there is a direct correlation between the team's overall performance the past 6 years or so and the high number of first round picks that did not work out for the Jags.  A team needs its first round picks to shine and contribute on a high level.  Unfortunately for the Jags, this has not happened and the results are evident. 

The only issue  that I have with this list is that no team knew what Russell Wilson was going to be; not even the Seahawks.  All teams that had first and second round picks that year passed on him TWICE (and the Jags three times).  This generally applies to late round picks that end up being great (e.g. Tom Brady).  That's just some proof of how difficult drafting players can be.

Let's hope that the new regime has more success with its draft picks, especially the ones in the early rounds. 

[Ajax]

I agree with all of these except Anger.  I think it was a bad pick taking a punter that high (#70 overall), but I don't think that he qualifies as a bust.  I came up with a few players who were drafted higher than #70 who I think were more of a "bust" than Anger:

Quentin Groves was drafted the same year as Harvey and he was a pretty big disappointment too.  We took him in the 2nd round (#52 overall) and traded up to get him.  I guess his bust status is overshadowed by Harvey, but at the time it looked like we had immediately upgraded the D line. 

Mike Pearson was an OT from Florida and we got him #40 overall in 2002.  I barely even remember him being on the team. 

In 1999 Larry Smith, DT from FSU "fell" to us in the draft.  I remember being really excited about how lucky we were to get him at the time and couldn't believe all of those other teams were passing on him.  He was in Jacksonville 4 seasons, had 7 starts, 4 sacks and 1 forced fumble.  Bust. 

Probably not fair to call Michael Cheever a bust because he had neck and back problems, but we picked him #60 overall in 1996 to be our center for the next 10 years, and I'm not sure if he even started for us. 

Brian DeMarco was picked #40 overall in 1995 and he just wasn't that good.  Should have gotten more value out of that position. 

I think Reggie Nelson was pretty productive compared to most of the other people on the list.  He wasn't great for us but I personally wouldn't call him a bust either. 

[Bridges]

Harvey has to be #1 just because of what we gave up for him.  Quentin Groves there too.  That 2008 draft might be the worst or at least top 5 worst drafts in the history of the NFL.  We have still not recovered from it as a franchise. 

[ben says]

While the Anger pick may have been misplaced - I don't consider it an outright bust.

[Downtown Osprey]

Sucks to see what Reggie Nelson is doing now for the Bengals.

[Tacachale]

Yeah, I also disagree with Anger being here. A bust is someone who never delivers on the expectations. Hard to see what exceptions Anger failed on; he was bum pick but he's been a solid player.

Hard to argue with the rest, though I don't know how Gabbert isn't #1.

[Wacca Pilatka]

The real tragedy of the Harvey and Groves picks was that the Jaguars had lots of extra picks that year and desperately needed to build depth on their aging offensive and defensive lines.  They threw away all those extra picks to move up in the draft for Harvey and Groves.  Not only did they not contribute, but the Jaguars were left without any answers when the season started and Meester, Manuwai, and Williams immediately got injured, while Spicer and Meier fell into sudden decline.

Groves isn't too bad a player - he's still active in the NFL - but was not a system fit at all.  He's a 3-4 OLB.

[pierre]

Plenty of draft busts before 2000. Second rounders like Larry Smith and Cordell Taylor. Anger is not a bust. Especially when you consider other guys who went in the same round like Wil Rackley, James Boyd and Eric Westmorland.