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Hits, headliners and a hall of famer: The five best draft classes in Jaguars history

From left to right, Tony Boselli, Kevin Hardy, Fred Taylor, Daryl Smith and Rashean Mathis headline some of the best draft classes in Jaguars history. (Getty Images)

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, but they’ve also had plenty of success. With the draft starting on Thursday night, News4JAX looks at the five best draft classes in the franchise’s 29 years of making selections.

We withheld judgement on recent classes like 2022, which 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 are too early to be viewed as hits or misses.

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Honorable mention

The 2015 draft

Number, Pos., Player, College

3. QB Blake Bortles, Central Florida

39. WR Marqise Lee, USC

61. WR Allen Robinson, Penn State

93. OG Brandon Linder, Miami (FL)

114. CB Aaron Colvin, Oklahoma

144. LB Telvin Smith, Florida State

159. DE Chris Smith, Arkansas

205. C Luke Bowanko, Virginia

222. RB Storm Johnson, Central Florida

Best pick: LB Telvin Smith, Florida State. Worst pick: RB Storm Johnson, Central Florida. GM making the pick: Dave Caldwell.

Why it was so good: Smith (pictured below) is one of the best mid-round picks by the Jaguars. His career went off the rails due to off-field issues. Robinson had a 1,400-yard season with 14 TDs and a Pro Bowl selection in 2016. The team misread his future by re-signing Lee to a contract extension and letting Robinson walk in free agency. Bortles was overdrafted at No. 3 and had a polarizing career in Jacksonville. Linder was one of the team’s most durable and productive players.

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 14: Telvin Smith #50 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts after recovering a fumble and returning it for a 50 yard touchdown in the second quarter during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on January 14, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (2018 Getty Images)

The 2016 draft

Number, Pos., Player, College

5. CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State

36. LB Myles Jack, UCLA

69. DE Yannick Ngakoue, Maryland

103. DL Sheldon Day, Notre Dame

181. LB Tyrone Holmes, Montana

201. QB Brandon Allen, Arkansas

226. DE Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas

Best pick: CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State. Worst pick: DE Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas. GM making the pick: Dave Caldwell.

Why it was so good: Simultaneously one of the best and most frustrating drafts all in one. Ramsey is likely headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, but he forced his way out of Jacksonville due to the toxic situation in the front office. Ngakoue outplayed the No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft (Dante Fowler) but also forced his way out of Jacksonville. Jack was an excellent second-round selection and got a second contract from the franchise, but this draft feels like more about what it could have been. Those three helped push this team to an unlikely AFC championship game appearance in 2017.

5. The 2003 draft

Number, Pos., Player, College

7. QB Byron Leftwich, Marshall

39. CB Rashean Mathis, Bethune-Cookman

72. OG Vince Manuwai, Hawaii

104. TE George Wrighster, Oregon

132. RB LaBrandon Toefield, LSU

176. DE Brandon Green, Rice

179. S David Young, Georgia Southern

193. OT Marques Ogden, Howard

218. FB Malaefou MacKenzie, USC

Best pick: CB Rashean Mathis. Worst pick: OT Marques Ogden, Howard. GM making the pick: Shack Harris.

Why it was so good: Mathis (below) went on to become one of the best players in franchise history. The Englewood High School graduate spent 10 years in Jacksonville and had 30 interceptions. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2006 and went to the Pro Bowl. Manuwai was a stalwart on the line, starting 105 games in his career. He tragically died in 2018. Wrighster had nine TD grabs in six seasons. Leftwich was average during his time in Jacksonville, but never reached his potential as the No. 7 pick.

One of our favorite moments during the pregame is when the players all gather in the end zone and a selected member pumps the team up before they begin stretching. Today it was Rashean Mathis' turn and he came with the thunder. "If you ain't in all white, you are gettin' kicked out the club!"

4. The 1996 draft

Number, Pos., Player, College

2. LB Kevin Hardy, Illinois

33. DE Tony Brackens, Texas

60. C Michael Cheever, Georgia Tech

63. CB Aaron Beasley, West Virginia

110. WR Reggie Barlow, Alabama State

146. OG Jimmy Herndon, Houston

170. DB John Fisher, Missouri Western

185. WR Chris Doering, Florida

227. WR Clarence Jones, Tennessee State

228. WR Gregory Spann, Jackson State

Best pick: DE Tony Brackens, Texas. Worst pick: C Michael Cheever, Georgia Tech. GM making the pick: Tom Coughlin.

Why it was so good: Hardy finished third in rookie of the year voting and had 504 tackles in his Jaguars career. He was a first-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl in 1999. Brackens (below) wasn’t far behind, making second-team All-Pro in 1999 and also the Pro Bowl that season. He has a franchise record 55 sacks. Beasley was in Jacksonville six seasons and had 24 interceptions and two picks returned for TDs. Cheever’s career ended quickly due to back injuries.

Tony Brackens #90, Defensive End for the Jacksonville Jaguars tackles Michael Pittman #32, Running Back of the Arizona Cardinals during their American Football Conference Central game on 10th December 2000 at the Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida, United States. The Jaguars won the game 44 - 10. (Photo by Craig Jones/Getty Images) (2018 Getty Images)

3. The 2004 draft

Number, Pos., Player, College

9. WR Reggie Williams, Washington

39. LB Daryl Smith, Georgia Tech

55. FB Greg Jones, Florida State

86. LB Jorge Cordova, Nevada

118. DL Anthony Maddox, Delta State

120. WR Ernest Wilford, Virginia Tech

137. K Josh Scobee, Louisiana Tech

150. CB Chris Thompson, Nicholls State

159. OT Sean Bubin, Illinois

249. DE Bobby McCray, Florida

Best pick: LB Daryl Smith. Worst pick: OT Sean Bubin, Illinois. GM making the pick: Shack Harris.

Why it was so good: Jacksonville reached for Williams in the first round as the run on receivers picked up. Smith was one of the best players in Jacksonville history and still ranks second in franchise history in total tackles. Jones (below) was not only a fan favorite from the Seminoles but a sledgehammer of a blocking back who had a career-high 575 yards and four TDs in 2005. Wilford had a game-winning touchdown grab with no time left to beat the Bills as a rookie and went on to catch 15 TDs in Jacksonville, seven of those in 2005. Scobee became the best kicker in franchise history and also a fan favorite. McCray is the best seventh-round pick in Jaguars history. He had 22 sacks in four seasons before leaving in free agency.

33. Greg Jones --Was the lead blocker (FB) when Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing in 2011. Jones also made a Pro Bowl in 2007. Had 1,384 yards from scrimmage, 13 TDs in his Jaguars career. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

2. The 1998 draft

Number, Pos., Player, College

9. RB Fred Taylor, Florida

25. S Donovin Darius, Syracuse

57. CB Cordell Taylor, Hampton

86. QB Jonathan Quinn, Middle Tennessee State

101. RB Tavian Banks, Iowa

118. LB Harry Deligianis, Youngstown State

148. C John Wade, Marshall

179. DE Lamanzer Williams Defensive end Minnesota

182. RB Kevin McLeod, Auburn

192. WR Alvis Whitted, North Carolina State

214. LB Brandon Tolbert, Georgia

Best pick: RB Fred Taylor, Florida. Worst pick: CB Cordell Taylor, Hampton. GM making the pick: Tom Coughlin.

Why it was so good: Taylor’s presence alone pushes this class up. He only made one Pro Bowl, but the appreciation of what Taylor did and why he was so good has grown over the years. He was a big back who played like someone 20 pounds lighter. Taylor (below) holds the franchise rushing record (11,695 yards, 62 TDs) and is one of the most beloved players ever in Jacksonville. He was a first-time Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist this year. Darius was the other piece of this class being ranked so high. He had 14 career interceptions and six fumble recoveries in nine seasons. This class has plenty of misses, but the strengths of Fred Taylor and Darius more than make up for it. Cordell Taylor went in the second round and last just one season in Jacksonville and just another one in the league before flaming out.

After Jaguars cornerback Rashean Mathis, owner Wayne Weaver and general manager Gene Smith thanked Fred Taylor for all he has done for the organization, Taylor could not control his emotions and wept.

1. The 1995 draft

Number, Pos., Player, College

2. OT Tony Boselli, USC

19. RB James Stewart, Tennessee

40. OT Brian DeMarco, Michigan State

64. LB Bryan Schwartz, Augustana (S.D.)

71. S Chris Hudson, Colorado

99. QB Rob Johnson, USC

123. DL Mike Thompson, Wisconsin

169. RB Ryan Christopherson, Wyoming

172. OT Marcus Price , LSU

219. WR Curtis Marsh, Utah

Best pick: OT Tony Boselli. Worst pick: RB Ryan Christopherson. GM making the pick: Tom Coughlin.

Why it was so good: This was the first draft in franchise history and Tom Coughlin got it right. Boselli was picked between RB Ki-Jana Carter and QB Steve McNair and went on to become the only Pro Football Hall of Fame selection in franchise history. Stewart rushed for 2,951 yards and 33 TDs in Jacksonville. Schwartz was a quality linebacker and Hudson was a ferocious safety who had eight interceptions and recovered five fumbles. The sleeper pick here was Johnson, who started just one game in place of an injured Mark Brunell and led a miraculous win. Jacksonville parlayed that into trading Johnson to the Bills for a first-round pick who eventually became RB Fred Taylor.

Former NFL player Tony Boselli, left, and his presenter Mar Brunell unveil his bust before speaking during his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

About the Author
Justin Barney headshot

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.

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