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The Jacksonville Jaguars saw great success when they first entered the NFL as an expansion team in 1995. They made the playoffs in four of their first five seasons, won four playoff games, and went to the AFC Championship Game in 1996 and 1999. Since then, it has been all downhill.
Over the years, the Jaguars have made some laughable draft selections. Jacksonville took Luke Joeckel and Justin Blackmon in the top five, along with Blaine Gabbert and Derrick Harvey. Just reading those names will make any Jacksonville fan cringe, but they have not been all bad.
Here are the top five draft steals in Jaguars' history.
5. Yannick Ngakoue, DE
The current situation with Ngakoue and the Jaguars is not a pretty one. But this does not diminish what he has done on the field for four years. Ngakoue was a third round pick in 2016, but he has performed like a top 10 player.
In four years, Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks and has played in 63 out of 64 games, making 62 starts. In 2017, Ngakoue was named to the Pro Bowl and had 12 sacks while leading the league with six forced fumbles. The Jaguars want Ngakoue on the roster come the season but the two sides have not agreed on a contract extension.
4. Rob Meier, DL
Meier was taken in the seventh round by the Jaguars in 2000. This is not usually the round where teams expect to find a solid defensive lineman for nine years, but that is what Jacksonville got.
Meier's numbers will not jump off the page. He played in 138 games over nine seasons and totaled 232 tackles and 21.5 sacks. He played in and started 15 games in his final season. This is exceptional value in the seventh round and something that every team would want late in the draft.
3. Tony Brackens, DE
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![Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on during a rookie minicamp at Miller Electric Center Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Liam-Coen-at-Jaguars-OTAs.jpg)
Brackens was one of the franchise's first draft picks in 1996. He was a second round selection and was a huge part of the successful teams early on. Brackens was not a starter early on. He started just 12 games over his first three seasons but then became a staple on the offensive line.
Brackens was a Pro Bowl selection in 1999, led the league in forced fumbles twice, and is still the Jaguars' all-time sack leader with 55. He is easily one of the best defensive players in team history.
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB
Jones-Drew was a late second round pick for the Jaguars in 2006. There was a time where he was considered to be one of the top running backs in the league. He played eight years in Jacksonville and was successful right away.
Jones-Drew ran for 941 yards and 13 touchdowns in his rookie season. From 2009-2011, Jones-Drew ran for at least 1,300 yards and totaled 28 touchdowns. He was a First Team All-Pro selection in 2011 when he led the NFL in attempts (343), rushing yards (1,606), and yards per game (100.4). Jones-Drew is easily the best running back in franchise history and will be remembered as one of the best of the late 2000's.
1. David Garrard, QB
Garrard was brought in as a fourth round pick in 2002 and was viewed as a backup. He ended up being the best quarterback that Jacksonville ever drafted, and could have been the best overall if it were not for Mark Brunell. Garrard got a chance in 2005 when he led the Jaguars to four wins in five starts.
Garrard led the Jaguars to a playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007. He ended his career with 16,003 yards, 89 touchdowns, and 54 interceptions. He played in 69 games, starting 68 of them, over the final five years of his career. Garrard is regarded as the biggest draft steal in Jacksonville history.
