JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The NFL draft is one of the most frustrating things to get right for teams. The Jaguars have had their shares of struggles over the years with trying to land the best player and the best fit. With the draft less than a week away, News4JAX looks at the five worst draft classes in the franchise’s 29-years of making selections. The best classes will be published next week.
We withheld judgement on the 2023 class, a group that included 13 selections and nary a standout thus far. Right tackle Anton Harrison showed potential last year, but the group as a whole was largely underwhelming. The 2022 class included No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, who had a breakout second season. And the 2021 draft yielded stars like Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco. But those recent hits under general manager Trent Baalke can’t overshadow a dubious history of poor drafting.
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(Dis) honorable mention
The 2013 draft
Pick, Position, Player, College
2. OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
33. S Johnathan Cyprien, Florida International
64. CB Dwayne Gratz, Connecticut
101. WR Ace Sanders, South Carolina
135. RB Denard Robinson, Michigan
169. S Josh Evans, Florida
208. CB Jeremy Harris, New Mexico State
210. CB Demetrius McCray, Appalachian State
Best pick: Johnathan Cyprien. Worst pick: Luke Joeckel. GM making the pick: Dave Caldwell.
Why it was so bad: This draft in general is regarded overall as the worst in modern history and perhaps the worst ever. The top 10 is littered with busts. Joeckel was heralded as Baby Boselli and played just 39 games in Jacksonville over four seasons, missing the bulk of his first and third years in town due to injury. He was out of the league by 2018. Cyprien racked up tackles but had just two career interceptions in his seven-year career. Four of those seasons came in Jacksonville. Sanders was out of the league in two years. Robinson was more known for being the cover athlete on EA Sports’ final college football game. This was Caldwell’s first draft and it was a forgettable one.
The 2010 draft
Pick, Position, Player, College
10. DL Tyson Alualu, California
74. DL D’Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech
143. DE Larry Hart, Central Arkansas
153. DE Austen Lane, Murray State
180. RB Deji Karim, Southern Illinois
203. CB Scotty McGee, James Madison
Best pick: DL Tyson Alualu. Worst pick: D’Anthony Smith. GM making the pick: Gene Smith.
Why it was so bad: A prototypical Gene Smith draft with a slew of small school players, a Smith hallmark. Alulalu (below) was a solid player but a massive, massive reach at No. 10. He was widely seen as a late first or a second-round pick at the very best. He spent seven seasons in Jacksonville and was a productive player. The rest of the draft was bad. Smith played just eight games in Jacksonville. Hart was out of the league after his rookie year. Karim was a nonfactor and never had an NFL touchdown. McGee didn’t make it to the regular season.
5. The 2005 draft
Pick, Position, Player, College
21. WR Matt Jones, Arkansas
52. OT Khalif Barnes, Washington
87. CB Scott Starks, Wisconsin
127. RB Alvin Pearman, Virginia
157. S Gerald Sensabaugh, North Carolina
185. WR Chad Owens, Hawaii
194. LB Pat Thomas, North Carolina State
237. CB Chris Roberson, Eastern Michigan
Best pick: Khalif Barnes. Worst pick: Matt Jones. GM making the pick: Shack Harris.
Why it was so bad: The selection of Jones was bad from the moment it was made. Jones was a college quarterback who’d never played receiver. His production peaked with five touchdowns as a rookie and bottomed out after that. He had a career-best 761 yards in his fourth and final season but started just 15 career games and saw his career derailed by substance abuse issues. Owens had three career fumbles and no receptions while serving as a special teams player. Starks was just a guy. Barnes was serviceable in Jacksonville but had his best success with the Raiders. Sensabaugh was a quality pick in the fifth round, picking off six passes in 50 career games.
4. The 2011 draft
Pick, Position, Player, College
10., QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
76. OG Will Rackley, Lehigh
114. WR Cecil Shorts III, Mount Union
121. S Chris Prosinski, Wyoming
147. CB Rod Issac, Middle Tennessee State
Best pick: Cecil Shorts III. Worst pick: Blaine Gabbert. GM making the pick: Gene Smith.
Why it was so bad: Gabbert (below) was atrocious with the Jaguars. He completed just over 53% of his passes to go along with 24 interceptions and 22 touchdowns and was jettisoned after a 5-22 record as a starter. Shorts was a great pick as a fourth rounder and elevates this class from being higher. He had 2,243 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in four seasons.
3. The 2020 draft
Pick, Position, Player, College
9. DB C. J. Henderson, Florida
20. LB K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU
42. WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado
73. DL DaVon Hamilton, Ohio State
116. OG Ben Bartch, Saint John’s (MN)
137. CB Josiah Scott, Michigan State
140. LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami
157. S Daniel Thomas, Auburn
165. WR Collin Johnson, Texas
189. QB Jake Luton, Oregon State
206. TE Tyler Davis, Georgia Tech
223. CB Chris Claybrooks, Memphis
Best pick: Daniel Thomas. Worst pick: C.J. Henderson. GM making the pick: Dave Caldwell.
Why it was so bad: This was a terrible draft, and Caldwell’s final one making the picks. It could probably be a bit higher just because of the volume of whiffs. Of the 12 picks here, only two remain on the roster, Hamilton and Thomas. Hamilton has been the best pick in this draft but he struggled after signing a contract extension last year. Jacksonville missed about as bad as it could have with its first three picks. Henderson will go down as one of the worst selections in franchise history. The team dealt him two games into his second season for tight end Dan Arnold, a stunning admission of failure. Not even Urban Meyer wanted the former Gators player in the lineup. Chaisson was part of the draft haul the Jaguars acquired from the Jalen Ramsey deal and he was overmatched from the moment he sat foot on the field. The team drafted Shenault to be the explosive playmaker that he was in college at Colorado and that never materialized. Thomas and Quarterman were depth and special teams pieces but this class was largely an entire whiff.
2. The 2008 draft
Pick, Position, Player, College
8. DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
52. DE Quentin Groves, Auburn
155. LB Thomas Williams, USC
159. CB Trae Williams, South Florida
213. RB Chauncey Washington, USC
Best pick: Quentin Groves. Worst pick: Derrick Harvey. GM making the pick: Shack Harris.
Why it was so bad: Harvey held out for more than a month after he was drafted and then proceeded to not be very good once he got on the field. Jacksonville sent three additional draft picks along with pick No. 26 to move up to No. 8 to draft Harvey. The team also traded up in the second round to pick Groves, who lasted just two seasons in Jacksonville before being dealt to the Raiders. Harvey had 3.5 sacks as a rookie. He spent three seasons in Jacksonville before playing just five more games in his career. Thomas Williams played just six games with the Jaguars, Trae Williams was cut in camp and Washington had 18 total yards in six games. Trading up makes this draft even worse.
1. The 2012 draft
5. WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
38. DE Andre Branch, Clemson
70. P, Bryan Anger, California
142. LB Brandon Marshall, Nevada
176. CB Mike Harris, Florida State
228. DL Jeris Pendleton, Ashland
Best pick: Bryan Anger. Worst pick: Justin Blackmon. GM making the pick: Gene Smith.
Why it was so bad: This is generally regarded as the bottom of the barrel for a couple reasons. Blackmon (pictured below) had ridiculous talent but had major red flags coming out of college that Jacksonville ignored. He was arrested for a DUI not long after he was drafted and was out of the league for good in his second season. Branch had 14 sacks in four seasons in Jacksonville but started just 12 games. Marshall spent one season in Jacksonville but actually had a solid career with the Broncos. The unbelievable pick came in the third round with the selection of punter Anger. While Anger was a very good punter in four seasons and the team’s best selection in this bad draft, punters aren’t drafted in the third round. The reason? GM Gene Smith bypassed players like Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, T.Y. Hilton and Kirk Cousins, making this the worst draft for Jacksonville, and one that haunted it for years.