The 2018 NFL Draft came with its usual twists and turns. The first round even ended with a bang after the Baltimore Ravens traded up to take former Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson with the 32nd overall pick.
There had been speculation that the Jacksonville Jaguars showed some interest in selecting him with the 29th overall pick if he was still available. However, general manager Dave Caldwell said during an appearance on PFT Live that the team had no intention of taking Jackson:
“He was not at the time,” Caldwell said. “We did think very highly as him as a player. With his ability to create and create plays with his feet. We felt like that he was going to eventually be a player — that he could develop into a player that you can win with. That wasn’t the situation that we had for us with the pick at 29. We had some guys that we really coveted that we felt could come in and help us right away this year.”
Caldwell's comments may come as a bit of a surprise considering he and executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin had sung Jackson's praises throughout the draft process. Instead, they ultimately went with former Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan.
That said, it appears that the Jaguars are optimistic about their decision to extend quarterback Blake Bortles' contract this offseason. Meanwhile, the Ravens likely found their successor to quarterback Joe Flacco. Only time will tell at this point whether or not Jacksonville or any of the other quarterback-hungry teams made the right decision.
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