NFL

As The Jaguars Turn

By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Just barely into a long NFL season, and the Jacksonville Jaguars look like a franchise in chaos. Injuries, poor coaching, and a star player demanding a trade hovers over DUVAL.

The Jaguars made a huge splash in the off season by signing Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles. The deal was a four-year contract worth $88 million. The deal reportedly has 50 million dollars guaranteed.

Nick Foles’ Jaguars debut did not follow script. Foles was injured in the first quarter against Kansas City, suffering a broken left clavicle (collar bone). Rookie Gardner Minshew replaced Foles after the injury.

The Jaguars’ aspirations for a revival this season relied on Foles arrival. Many fans believe the Jaguars are one capable quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender.

Just one quarter into the season, the Jaguars already were left dealing with an injury to Foles and now they will be without him for 8 to 10 weeks.

Game two was filled with drama. First on the field, trailing 13-6 with three minutes remaining, the Jaguars took possession at their 32-yard line. Gardner Minshew lead a two minute and thirty second drive capped with a four-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Chark Jr.

Coach Doug Marrone decided to go for a two-point conversion.  Leonard Fournette was stopped inches short of the goal line and the Jaguars fell 13-12.

Doug Marrone must have thought he was a Riverboat gambler, who decided to risk the game on a controversial decision to go for two-point conversion at the end of the game.

From the decision to the actual play call, Fournette run between the tackles. The question remains why go for two?

The Jaguars defense was playing extremely well. Minshew had the hot hand, leading a 68-yard scoring drive.

Coach Marrone just outsmarted himself and his team paid the price. My opinion, the Jaguars should have taken their chances with momentum into overtime.

The headline story Jags camp was the sideline spat between All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and head coach Doug Marrone.

On a third down play, Ramsey was covering Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.  Hopkins made a diving catch and Ramsey immediately jumps up and waves his arms to signal incomplete.

Ramsey wanted Coach Marrone to have the play reviewed. Marrone did not throw the red challenge flag. The drive continued and the Texans kicked a field goal to take the lead 3-0.

Gene Steratore, the CBS official analysis, stated the it looked pretty clear that it was not a catch. Ramsey walking off the field clearly upset and when Coach Marrone said something to him, he turned around and the two went at it.

Marrone put his hands on Ramsey, who jerked away. Moments later, he walked over to Ramsey and said something that set him off again. Ronnie Harrison had to get between Ramsey and Coach Marrone.

That’s when it ended. Not so fast.

On the following Monday, the Jaguars All-Pro cornerback demanded a trade. Ramsey must be taking a line out of Antonio Brown’s off-field play book.

Ramsey quoted “the whole city trash. Coaches trash, fans trash too. They only care about crab trays and hard drugs. I’m Out!”

 

Lifting Off?

By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

We are only 2 weeks into the NFL season so there are still many questions that have not been answered.

The team I’m specifically referring to is the Atlanta Falcons. They lost the season opener at Minnesota. Then they rebounded and won a Sunday night game against Philadelphia.

They looked like two different teams. In the first game, the Vikings ran all over Atlanta and won 28-12. They only threw the ball 10 times, which is unheard of in 2019.

What I find troubling about this is head coach Dan Quinn. He is a former defensive coordinator from the Seattle Seahawks. He was there during their last Super Bowl run. Logically, we expected him to turn the Falcons into an elite defense and that has not happened yet.

There were several key injuries last season to players like Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen and Deion Jones. All of those players returned to start the season and the defense gave up 111 yards and 2 touchdowns to Dalvin Cook.

Minnesota missed the playoffs last season and they are not a contender this year. A loss like that makes me scratch my head.

The next game against the Eagles is completely different. They just won the Super Bowl in 2017 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2018. They are considered the best team in their division.

Atlanta won the game 24-20. They forced Carson Wentz to throw 2 interceptions. They also held Philly to only 49 yards rushing. That’s impressive but the Eagles are not a good running team so we have to take that into account.

Matt Ryan threw for 320 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 picks. They rushed for 57 yards. Julio Jones scored 2 touchdowns and had 106 receiving yards.

He became the franchise’s career leader in receiving yards with his winning score, passing Roddy White.

“He’s had a lot of great ones, that’s for sure,” said quarterback Matt Ryan. “It’s special for him to break a record that way, in such a critical situation, in such a clutch moment. That’s pretty cool.”

Calvin Ridley had his second 100-yard receiving game of his career, hauling in 8 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Falcons rookie tackle Kaleb McGary was injured in the second quarter with a left knee injury. He did return in the fourth quarter.

That’s good news because he should be able to continue playing for the rest of the season. He’s one of the two linemen drafted by Atlanta in the first round. The other, guard Chris Lindstrom broke his foot in the first game and was placed on IR.

Last season the team struggled to protect Ryan and that might be an issue this season. The team also cannot run the ball. That means Ryan will have to throw more so the chance for interceptions goes up.

Previously Atlanta has played to the level of their competition and that has not changed. The next four games are against Indianapolis, Tennessee, Houston and Arizona. They should be favored to win all of those games.

The schedule gets tougher Week 7 with home games against the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle. Week 9 is the bye week.

Drew Brees has ligament damage in his right thumb and he will undergo surgery. He could miss 6 weeks. That means the team that was the favorite in the NFC South is now just as bad as Carolina and Tampa Bay.

By default, the Falcons are the best team in the division. Let’s see if they take advantage and build a big division lead.

The Strong Silent Type

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

For the better part of a decade at the wide receiver position, there has been almost a direct correlation between a player’s ability to perform on the field and his antics off it. The crazier the antics the more talented the player must be, otherwise why put up with it.

That said, it’s somewhat poetic that on the same day Antonio Brown is turning in a diva performance the entire cast of “Real Housewives of New York City” would’ve been proud of, Julio Jones is signed a contract making him the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL.

I say this because when a player like Jones- someone who doesn’t throw sideline rants, blames losses on his lack of targets, or post videos on social media demeaning the organization he plays for- becomes the highest paid, it almost catches you by surprise. (During the stretch when Jones wasn’t getting many red zone targets, could you have pictured him posting a video of all his touchdown catches in Atlanta followed by the words “Remember Me???” as the video fades to black? Now how about Brown?)

I’m sure Jones is more vocal behind closed doors, but if so that at least seems to be where those conversations stay. And while some may look at him holding out as diva-like behavior I have no issue with it, especially when you consider the way it’s been handled by both Jones and the Falcons.

There are several different avenues to venture down when you discuss making a 30-year-old the highest paid wideout in the league, but the real story that will have implications across the league are the terms of the extension- $66 million over the next three years, all guaranteed.

Regardless of what side of the argument you fall on- whether contracts should be guaranteed or not- you must admit Jones’ contract could be the turning point for how those contracts are handled in the NFL.

How many times have you heard of a deal stalling out not because of the length or total money involved, but because of the guaranteed dollars?

As annoying as it is, there’s a reason “The number of years or total dollar amount doesn’t matter, it’s all about what’s guaranteed” comment is ingrained in our minds. I understand why NFL money isn’t guaranteed, but it’s a huge hurdle that sometimes can’t be overcome.

In a profession where contracts are built upon existing contracts with other players, why in the world would another player of Jones’ caliber settle for anything less than a fully guaranteed contract, or at least something close to that. If I were him, I wouldn’t.

I’m not saying this is something that will happen overnight, or take place for every player in the league, but the precedent has been set and I imagine there will be a line of football players waiting to follow in Jones’ footsteps.

Whether or not you believe Jones is worth the money at this stage of his career, or if you think he’ll have lived up to his contract five years from now may not even matter.

There’s a good chance we’ll look back at his signing as a change of the times and something that may alter the way the NFL handles contracts from here on out.

And it all happened without the use of Instagram.

Running Division

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

When it comes to the NFL, quarterbacks are going to get most of the publicity, good or bad. And if two of the last four NFL MVP’s have been quarterbacks within your division (Cam Newton, Matt Ryan) and a third is a future first ballot Hall of Famer who also happens to be the all-time leader in passing yards (Drew Brees) you can understand why the position gets the attention it does.

However, if you look past the big names at the top of marquee, you’ll see the teams in the NFC South have a pretty impressive supporting cast, especially at the running back position.

Atlanta Falcons: DeVonta Freeman.

The Falcons running back reminds me of the younger brother you never let play in your buddies’ pickup games until mom forces you to let him play, only to find out he was better than most of your friends.

Since his arrival in 2014, Freeman has quietly put together a very underrated start to his career. In the three years leading up to this last season, when Freeman was inured for all but two games, he was averaging just under 1,500 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns a year.

That may not put him on the level of the next two players I’m about to mention, but that is the type of production almost any coach would take from the running back position.

Carolina Panthers: Christian McCaffrey.

There were times last season where it felt like McCaffrey had his hands on the ball more than Cam Newton.

McCaffrey saw his rushing attempts almost double in his second full season, but much like Freeman, his main potency comes from catching balls out of the backfield; he had 107 receptions this past season.

He had almost 2,000 yards from scrimmage last year and as much as Newton is the main driver within the offense, McCaffrey has become the focal point.

New Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara.

The Saints running back is the Fantasy Football gift that just keeps giving. His numbers actually fall in between the aforementioned Freeman and McCaffrey, but his ability to break loose for the big play/score puts him a category just above his divisional peers.

In today’s NFL, where catching the ball out of the backfield is almost as important to a running back as their ability to run between the tackles, don’t be surprised if Kamara becomes a Top 5 within the next year or two.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Peyton Barber.

My wife always says to ignore anything that comes before “…..but,” so I’m going to dispense with the niceties; Barber just isn’t on the level with the three that I’ve mentioned.

The former Auburn Tiger running back is much more one dimensional than his counterparts and yet he may still be the worst of the four in that one particular area.

In a story where I’m trying to make the case that the strength of the running back position in the NFC South is on par with any other division in the NFL, Barber is the counterpoint to that argument.

Over the past few years the NFC South has been able to place much of their notoriety on the shoulders of Brees, Ryan, and Newton.

For a variety of reasons, they may be forced in the near future to turn to a different set of players. Those players may already be in place; they just happen to be at a different position.

Coach Killer?

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

When was the last time you heard an offensive lineman referred to as a “Coach Killer”? Better yet, have you ever heard of any lineman be referred to in that way?

In most cases, that moniker is reserved for the quarterback because when it comes to the NFL the quarterback is the rock star and most everyone else is just “in the band”.

Now, sometimes your franchise gets lucky and you find an Eddie Vedde leading your squad; others times you get stuck with Scott Stapp.

While I don’t think James Winston has fallen to the dollar bin ranks on the former Creed singer, he’s well on his way.

And as much as he is walking that fine line between being a relevant starting NFL quarterback and a bust, he is also becoming dangerously close to becoming the aforementioned coach killer.

Coach number one was Lovie Smith, who lasted all of one season before being replaced by Dirk Koetter.

Now, I’m not saying Winston was the reason Smith was let go, but I have to imagine he was at least consulted in the decision, especially since it was apparently made due to his relationship with Koetter. I find it hard to believe that if Winston wanted Lovie to be around that a change would’ve been made.

By the time Koetter was let go after last season Winston had long lost any pull he might have had with the organization. But, when you get a coaching gig the way Koetter did, your tenure is pretty much based on the performance of your quarterback.

Which leads us to Bruce Arians, the Buccaneers current coach. Arians is known as a player’s coach and someone who gets the most out of his quarterbacks, hence the reason he’s in Tampa.

No matter what anyone says, or how many years are on his contract, Arians was brought in for one reason; to turn Jameis Winston around and to do it this year.

The likelihood of Tampa having a successful season in spite of Winston is highly unlikely, which would more than likely lead to the Buccaneers parting ways with the former number one overall pick.

If that were to happen Tampa would be starting over again at quarterback. I could see the organization sticking with Arians to mold a new quarterback, but does anyone really see him coaching more than 3-4 years?

If things were to play out that way Tampa would be changing coaches just as their new quarterback would theoretically be entering his prime- not exactly the ideal situation for a franchise to be in.

Wouldn’t it make more sense then to just hire a new head coach from the outset; one who would grow with the new qb, much like the Bucs originally intended with Winston and Smith? (Brining in a new GM probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either, if I’m being honest.)

All this has nothing to do with Arians and his ability to coach, or whether he’s a good fit for Tampa. It’s all about the Buccaneers trying one last ditch effort to get Winston to become the quarterback they’ve always believed he would be. I mean why else bring Arians in and not separate themselves from Winston; there were a myriad of reasons that would’ve justified parting ways with him, both on the field and off it.

So, now Winston’s future (and reputation) rides on the back of Bruce Arians. Here’s hoping his new coach has a little Rick Rubin magic in him.

Put A Ring On It

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

There are a plethora of ways franchises honor those who have made an impact on their organization.

Retiring a jersey or being inducted into a “Ring of Honor” is probably the highest, followed in no particular order, by throwing out a first pitch, being a part of the coin toss, or the always beloved “Bobblehead Day”.

Recently teams have found a way to celebrate a player’s career by signing them to a one-day contract, allowing them to retire with that particular team.

This got me thinking about what former Atlanta Falcons player, that was with the team during his prime but did not retire as a Falcon, should be brought out of retirement and signed to a one-day contract? I was not expecting the conclusion I came to.

To begin with I went ahead and eliminated names like Deion Sanders, Tony Gonzalez, and Warrick Dunn, even though all three had very successful stints in Atlanta. Sanders and Gonzalez had longer, more successful tenures with other organizations and Dunn left Atlanta to go back and retire in Tampa.

Some of the obvious names I gravitated to next were guys like Jamaal Anderson, Roddy White, Jessie Tuggle, and even Michael Turner; all players who made a significant impact during their time in Atlanta.

However, the first three played their entire careers with Atlanta and Turner finished his career there, so all four have already retired as Falcons.

Of course, at this point there’s one glaring name staring me right in the face, like my wife when she sees my clean clothes draped over the couch, and that’s Michael Vick.

On one hand there’s no player in the history of the Falcons organization that deserves to be on the receiving end of a one-day contract, and the sentiment behind it, based off of on the field production.

On the other hand, there’s also not a player in the franchise’s history that deserves to be honored in any capacity less than Vick.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit I am not an Atlanta Falcons aficionado, so I have no doubt there is some lineman or quarterback from 30 years ago that I’m unaware of. Having said that, I came up with three names I feel like would be deserving of being awarded the one-day contract: Andre Rison, Gerald Riggs, and John Abraham.

Rison was a bright spot on a struggling Falcons team during his time in Atlanta. He made four of his five Pro Bowl appearances in a Falcons uniform and spent more of his career in Atlanta than anywhere else.

Riggs is the team’s all-time leading rusher (6,631 yards) and received all three of his Pro Bowl selections during his Falcons career. He has been enshrined into the Falcons Ring of Honor, so that alone may exclude him from this particular festivity.

Abraham, on the other hand, is an interesting case. He is the franchise’s all-time sack leader and obviously had a very successful run in Atlanta. However, you could argue he achieved more in less time at the start of his career when he was with the New York Jets. Which organization he is associated with the most probably depends on whether you live in Atlanta or New York.

With all due respect to those three players, I thought I’d wind up having a bigger name to celebrate; looks like Atlanta does a much better job of keeping their top flight guys than I gave them credit for.

Southern Draft

By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2019 NFL Draft is in the books.

Some teams drafted well and others made some head scratching decisions. I’m going to take a look at the NFC South and rate each teams draft.

Atlanta Falcons: Picks: Boston College OG Chris Lindstrom; Washington OT Kaleb McGary; Ohio State CB Kendall Sheffield; Charleston DE John Cominsky; Pittsburgh RB Qadree Ollison; Washington CB Jordan Miller; Louisiana-Monroe WR Marcus Green

With the 14th pick, guard Chris Lindstrom was selected. The offensive line needs to improve but Lindstrom was rated as a late first round pick at best. Then they traded the second and third round picks to get the 31st pick. The Falcons selected tackle Kaleb McGary.

He was not going to be selected in the first round. If Atlanta wanted him, they could have waited. The trade up value was not good and McGary has issues handling edge-rush speed. The strength of this draft was defense, especially in rounds 2 and 3. Atlanta missed on adding impact players on defense. Grade: C

Carolina Panthers: Picks: Florida State DE Brian Burns; Mississippi OT Greg Little; West Virginia QB Will Grier; Alabama DE Christian Miller; Florida RB Jordan Scarlett; South Carolina OT Dennis Daley; Georgia WR Terry Godwin

Burns was a great pick. He should make an impact rushing the passer immediately and he can develop his game over the next few years.

Daley and Godwin were good value picks in Rounds 6 and 7. They also doubled up on pass rushers by selecting Christian Miller. Grade: B+

New Orleans Saints: Picks: Texas A&M C Erik McCoy; Florida S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson; Rutgers S Saquan Hampton; Notre Dame TE Alize Mack; Idaho LB Kaden Elliss

Erik McCoy was a great pick for the Saints. He has Day 1 talent mixed with intelligence, toughness and competitiveness. New Orleans needs him to protect an aging Drew Brees.

Safety Gardner-Johnson was a good pick as well, addressing a position of need. The first two picks were good but I’m not sold on the rest of the players they selected. Alize Mack was rated as a top recruit going to Notre Dame. He never played like it in college. The Saints need to win now so they don’t have the luxury to develop these players. Grade: C

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Picks: LSU LB Devin White; Central Michigan DB Sean Bunting; Auburn CB Jamel Dean; Kentucky S Mike Edwards; Iowa OLB Anthony Nelson; Utah K Matt Gay; Bowling Green WR Scott Miller; Missouri DT Terry Beckner Jr.

Devin White is a great pick. I expect him to be a Pro Bowler for the next decade. He has great closing speed and athleticism.

Jamal Dean is a questionable pick because of his injury history. He was medically disqualified to play football by Ohio State due to his suffering multiple knee injuries in high school. He sat out 2015, transferring from Columbus to Auburn, which cleared him to play.

Dean suffered yet another knee injury in preseason 2016 camp, which sidelined him for the year.

The Bucs ignored the offensive and defensive lines for some reason. They also drafted a second kicker in four years. Grade: C-

Rosen’s New Waters

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

It’s been 20 years since Dan Marino retired and over that span of time the Miami Dolphins have gone through more quarterbacks than there are characters in the Avengers.

Names like Daunte Culpepper, Jay Fiedler, and Ryan Tannehill we’re all supposed to help lead the franchise back to its glory days, but all three, among many others, had their Dolphins’ careers turned into wisps of ash.

After giving up a second-round pick in this year’s draft, and a fifth-round pick in next year’s, you can now add Josh Rosen to the first part of that list.

From Miami’s vantage point, I like the trade. Opinions were pretty high of Rosen coming out of UCLA last year, with many analysts predicting he would be the best of last year’s quarterback class.

Obviously, he didn’t have the level of success that many of his counterparts (Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Lamar Jackson) experienced last season, but he also had the least amount of talent around him. To judge him based solely on his struggles last year is a bit unfair.

There wasn’t a quarterback in this year’s draft graded as highly as Rosen was and nobody has any idea what may transpire between now and next year’s draft; if you think you have an opportunity to acquire your franchise quarterback, especially without giving up much in the process, you make the trade and live with the outcome.

It was clear to everyone that Rosen wasn’t in the Arizona Cardinals plans once they brought in Kliff Kingsbury to coach. He didn’t just need a change of scenery, but Rosen needed a place where he would be given an opportunity. I have to imagine from his perspective, he’s thrilled to be in Miami.

For one, he has the NFL’s version of a human rollercoaster, Ryan Fitzpatrick, in front of him; up one second, down the next. Even if the coaching staff decides to go with Fitzpatrick to start the season, which I imagine is probably 50/50 right now, Rosen will still have a better opportunity to learn from and watch the journeyman quarterback play than he would have in Arizona.

If Rosen does start, which is where I’d put my money, Fitzpatrick’s off the field guidance will be valuable.

Rosen is also joining the Dolphins as they embark on a fresh start themselves. Along with first year coach, Brian Flores, the newly acquired quarterback will be working with Jim Caldwell, the Dolphins Asst. Head Coach/QB Coach.

Say what you will about Caldwell’s head coaching career, he’s been very successful in the past with the same dual roles he currently serves in Miami.

Plus, and this is a big difference between Miami and Arizona, Rosen will actually have some talent around him on the field. The Cardinals offensive line was so bad last year David Carr thought he was watching “30 for 30” on his rookie season.

I have no idea if this decision will work out for both the Dolphins and Josh Rosen, but as I mentioned, I like move. For a franchise that has searched the better part of two decades for a quarterback they can depend on, they may have found one.

Only time will tell if Josh Rosen will be Miami’s “Tony Stark”, a strong foundation on which ten years of success will be built upon. Or if three years from now, at the snap of a finger, his Dolphin career, like many before him, will be turned into ash.

New Dirty Birds

By: TJ Hartnett

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The NFL Draft is a magical time. It is both a beginning and an ending.

One door shuts on the college career of young and hungry hopefuls, while the door to their professional career opens wide.

It’s a time of hope for fans as well, as they look for their favorite team to draft the players that will turn them around or help them take the next step.

People will debate until they are blue in the face which college player should be drafted at what point in the draft, or who is the best fit for what team and who will be the player that falls the farthest. The point is everyone has an opinion about the NFL Draft and that includes Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, apparently.

Word is that Ryan sent a text message to the Falcons’ General Manager, Thomas Dimitroff, thanking him for drafting offensive linemen with both their first and their second picks in the Draft. That says something profound about how badly Ryan needed protection after season that saw him get hit third-most in the league and sacked eighth-most.

Those offensive linemen were Chris Lindstrom at 14 and Kaleb McGary, whom the Falcons traded up for to draft 31st overall.

Lindstrom is a guard from Boston College and McGary played right tackle at Washington, though he could also be moved to guard.

Lindstrom was not likely the 14th best player in the Draft, but the Falcons made a statement by drafting him and by trading their 2nd and 3rd round picks in order to get McGary in the first round. The O-line is going to be better this year come hell or high water.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that the Falcons signed two offensive guards during the offseason in Jamon Brown and James Carpenter.

It seemed fairly likely that those two would be starting for Atlanta come September, but with these two draft picks it now seems like a competition for those positions will be on. These are choices that potentially improve the team by leaps and bounds.

After missing the 2nd and 3rd rounds, the Falcons picked up cornerback Kendall Sheffield from Ohio State. Sheffield’s game is his speed and will play an important role for the team, if his pectoral injury doesn’t plague him the way it plagued Desmond Trufant.

Dimitroff then took John Cominsky, a Defensive End from Charleston, for his second pick in the 4th round. He’s got size and versatility, and his presence could keep the likes of Vic Beasley, Jr. and Takk McKinley on their toes and motivated.

Round 5 saw the Falcons draft a running back from Pittsburgh by the name of Qadree Ollison. Ollison is a big dude and should be capable of brining power to the short-yardage game of the Falcons, serving as a nice compliment to Devonta Freeman.

Atlanta’s second pick of the 5th round was another corner: Jordan Miller – also of Washington. Their second at that position of the draft, Miller will add depth to the secondary and join another former Washing player in Trufant there.

For Round 6, the Falcons branched out and took a wide receiver: UL Monroe’s Marcus Green. Green isn’t going to supplant Julio Jones, but he may be counted upon to make both kickoff and punt returns. He has the potential to provide some explosive returns and provides competition with free agent signing Kenjon Barner for the role.

Vicious Jaguar

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Joshua (Josh) Allen is now a Jacksonville Jaguar.

The 2018 SEC Defensive Player of The year will now set up shop in the River City and wreak havoc on AFC South quarterbacks for the next decade.

Allen played his college football at the University of Kentucky and led Kentucky to its first 10-win season since 1977.

Here are Allen’s 2018 career highlights and awards to date:

2018 SEC Defensive Player of the Year

Unanimous 2018 First Team All American

Chuck Bednarik Award 2018

Lott Trophy 2018

Nagurski Trophy 2018

First Team All SEC 2018

Allen is proof that recruiting rankings and stars don’t mean anything, as one highly thought of recruiting service had Allen rated as a two-star prospect coming out of high school in New Jersey.

Jacksonville didn’t think he would there at 7. They thought he would go at 3 or 4 or 5. I absolutely love this pick. Their identity is that defense. The Jags needed an edge rusher, and Allen fell to them and they took him.

Thank you to the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants for making this happen.

Allen was a star in the best football conference in the land, where he registered 17 sacks, 51 total pressures, and 28 hurries in 2018.

He finished his career with 31.5 sacks at UK and is the all-time sack leader there. Allen declared for the NFL draft after his junior season.

Allen is listed at 6’5 and 260 pounds, and is very quick. He is equipped to be one of those special speed edge rushers that keep opposing offensive coordinators up at night.

When it comes to pass coverage, he can drop into coverage with ease and is fluid in the hips, and moves like a safety. That will be a huge plus for a Jaguar defense that took a step back in 2018. Even with the addition of Nick Foles at QB this organization’s identity is defense. Now, with the addition of Allen, the Jaguar pass rush may get back to the standard it set during the 2017 season.

Allen runs a 4.6 40 Yard dash and looks to be another Pro Bowl caliber player on a talented defense. He is a high character young man that will come in, roll up his sleeves and go to work immediately. He is a Tom Coughlin type of player that eventually will take over leadership in that locker room.

I view this selection as a culture builder in Jacksonville. Allen is a winner and a producer and talks with his shoulder pads.

As I was watching the first round unfold, I could not believe Allen didn’t go to Raiders at 4 or the Giants at 6. And when the Giants went QB at 6 I said wow Josh Allen is going to be a Jaguar.

They say the NFL is an offensive league now, but do you remember the 13-3 Super Bowl contest that just concluded? The Patriots shut down the high-powered Rams offense and held them to 3 points.

Josh Allen was the absolute best pick the Jaguars could have made. The Jaguars got the biggest steal in the first round.

Draft Grade: A+