Washington State Football: Jaguars draft insurance QB in Gardner Minshew

Former Washington State football star Gardner Minshew was selected in the sixth round by the Jaguars as an insurance option at quarterback.

The ‘stache is back in action. Jacksonville made a smart pick for the future of its organization in the sixth round on Saturday afternoon, selecting Washington State quarterback Gardnew Minshew.

Everyone loved watching Minshew dominate at Washington State, but he didn’t have the easiest road to stardom but if he didn’t answer Mike Leach’s call and go from potential Alabama backup in 2018 to starter for the Cougars, he wouldn’t be an option for the Jags in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Minshew got around before the 2018 season. He started his career at Troy, then went the JUCO route before choosing East Carolina, but wanted to then be a grad transfer. He was set to go play for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide as a backup but Leach phoned him and let him know there was a spot for him as a starter in Pullman. How could he pass that up?

All he did for Washington State was pass for over 4,700 yards and 38 touchdowns, completing 71 percent of his passes, taking the nation by storm.

Now he’s a Jaguar. He’ll back up new quarterback Nick Foles and recent draft selection Cody Kessler from USC who came to Jacksonville by way of Cleveland.

This was a smart pick for the Jaguars who have found out the hard way that there’s no such thing as too much quarterback depth. They’ve had a tough time finding a viable option under center over the years and Blake Bortles was the latest failed project.

Minshew won’t be a starter right away and it may even take a few years for that to be an option, but this was a safe pick in the sixth round and it provides plenty of insurance. He has what it takes to be an option in the NFL and he’ll have time to learn — he’s shown he’s a quick learner.