NFL Draft: Jawaan Taylor staying home, picked by Jags
Former Florida football star Jawaan Taylor has finally heard his name called in the NFL Draft, coming off the board in the second round to Jacksonville.
Jawaan Taylor was projected to be drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2019 NFL Draft. Those expectations were proven true on Friday night when the Jags picked the former Florida football offensive tackle with the third pick of the second round.
If not for injury concerns, Taylor would have come off the board much earlier. Most thought the Jags would grab him at No. 7 overall in the first round.
Those possibilities disintegrated when Kentucky’s Josh Allen fell further than most expected. That pushed Taylor further down the board, but didn’t diminish the Jags’ interest. The team traded up to ensure they got their man, finally completing the long-awaited pairing.
Even with his injury concerns, Taylor was dominant at the college level. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed pressure on 2.8 percent of all dropbacks in his final season with the Gators. That’s music to the ears of incoming quarterback Nick Foles. The Jags gave him $88 Million in lieu of giving Blake Bortles one more year, making the addition of Taylor all the more important.
Jacksonville’s decision to move up would be proven wise soon after. Taylor was the first of four tackles off the board in the first several picks of the second round. The Carolina Panthers grabbed Greg Little with pick No. 37, the Buffalo Bills picked Cody Ford with pick No. 38 and the Denver Broncos followed with Dalton Risner at No. 41.
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Taylor gets to stay close to where he played his college ball and Jacksonville fortifies a critical position. This was a superb selection.