I could say that the Tyson Alualu pick was a ridiculous stretch, but sometimes NFL teams take a Bill Parcells view on draft picks and despite what the rest of us think they go out and get their guy. This is what the Jacksonville Jaguars seem to have done. They wanted the hard working Alualu to pair with Aaron Kampman. It might work, but then again it might not. With no pick in the second round, it seems kind of strange to reach for a guy, but they are totally convinced that this is their man.
Of course they did make up for the reach by taking DT D’Anthony Smith in the third round. He is another high motor pass rusher and for a defense that only racked up 13 sacks in 2009 we can understand the need to rebuild the defensive line. In fact the Jags used four of their six picks in this draft looking for help on the D line. They may have found a starter, a quality situational pass rusher, and some depth for a unit that needed a lot of work. Only time will tell how on these picks were.
With all that being said let us take a look at the initial grades for the 2010 Jaguars draft class:
• Round One – D, until I see something more this looks like a ridiculous reach • Round Three – B+, Smith is a great prospect who had a first round grade •Talent- C, This will change if Alualu works out but right now it looks bad •Need- B-, the D line needed work, but four picks may have been a little excessive •Average- C
Related Links:
• Jacksonville Jaguars news and notes • 2010 NFL Draft initial grades •MTR Football.com • The Business of the NFL
