Earlier in the week, FOXSportsFlorida.com looked back at the Jaguars draft history and picked their 10 worst draft picks. Today, we take a look at the brighter side of the draft, the picks that provided the Jaguars with the most value.
Excluding the last couple of seasons, the Jaguars have done a pretty good job in the NFL Draft. Let's not forget the franchise made the playoffs in four of the first five seasons it existed, twice making it to the AFC Championship during that span.
What constitutes a value pick? Well, you simply combine how the player performed for the Jaguars in relation to where he was picked in the NFL Draft.
10. JOSH SCOBEE, K, LOUISIANA TECH (2004, FIFTH ROUND, 137TH OVERALL)
The Jaguars got their current kicker in the fifth round. Scobee has spent 10 seasons with the Jaguars, playing 152 games. Scobee led the NFL in 2007 by making 92.3 percent of his field goals. Scobee currently ranks 12th among active kickers in career points with 265.
9. JASON CRAFT, DB, COLORADO ST. (1999, FIFTH ROUND, 160TH OVERALL)
Craft was seldom used in his rookie season of 1999. He appeared in all 16 games but never made a contribution on defense. For the next four years though, he would start 33 games at both cornerback positions for the Jaguars.
Craft picked off seven passes and had 165 tackles. He also recovered a fumble in three separate seasons.
8. SETH PAYNE, DT, CORNELL (1997, FOURTH ROUND, 114TH OVERALL)
The former Ivy League defensive tackle didn't see much time in his first two seasons with the team as he started only six games. That all changed in his third season as he took over the starting job and would anchor the Jaguars defensive line for the next three seasons.
Before heading to the Houston Texans, Payne spent five seasons with the Jaguars and started 52 games. His last season was his most productive as he had five sacks and 55 tackles in 2001. Over his five seasons in Jacksonville, he totaled 8.5 sacks and 137 tackles.
7. MIKE THOMAS, WR, ARIZONA (2009, FOURTH ROUND, 107TH OVERALL)
After starting four games his rookie year, Thomas started 14 games in each of the next two seasons. In his second season, he caught 66 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns. He also was important in the punt return game as he returned 34 punts for 358 yards and one touchdown.
He regressed in his third season before he was traded to Detroit midway through the 2013 campaign. In his tenure with the Jaguars, he caught 171 passes for 1,768 yards and six touchdowns.
6. RASHAD JENNINGS, RB, LIBERTY (2009, SEVENTH ROUND, 250TH OVERALL)
Jennings never played much behind Maurice Jones-Drew, however he was a serviceable backup. In four seasons with the Jaguars, he rushed for 944 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 61 passes for 454 yards. His best season came in 2010 when he started three games and rushed for 459 yards and four touchdowns.
After being cut by the Jaguars in 2012, he played for Oakland in 2013 and now finds himself on the New York Giants heading into 2014
5. BOBBY MCCRAY, DE, FLORIDA (2004, SEVENTH ROUND, 249TH OVERALL)
McCray took some time to make an impact for the Jaguars, totaling nine sacks in his first two seasons.
In his third season, he started 12 games, sacking the quarterback 10 times and forcing two fumbles. He would play one more season with the Jaguars before becoming an important part of the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl run in 2009.
4. ROB MEIER, DE/DT, WASHINGTON ST. (2000, SEVENTH ROUND, 241ST OVERALL)
The former Washington State Cougar didn't produce much in his first two seasons in the league. However, he started 47 games in the next seven seasons while missing just seven games in that same time span.
In total, he spent nine seasons with the Jaguars, recording 21.5 sacks and more than 200 tackles. He also forced three fumbles.
3. UCHE NWANERI, G, PURDUE (2007, FIFTH ROUND, 149TH OVERALL)
Nwaneri was nothing more than a reserve in his rookie season after being selected out of Purdue. However, entering his second season, Nwaneri proved to be valuable as he started 15 of 16 games for the Jaguars.
Nwaneri would lock down the guard spot for the next five seasons. In seven seasons with the Jaguars, Nwaneri started 92 of 104 possible games. He remains a free agent as of now after being released by the Jaguars as they continue to rebuild under head coach Gus Bradley.
2. MARLON MCCREE, CB, KENTUCKY (2001, SEVENTH ROUND, 223RD OVERALL)
Although he spent just two seasons with the Jagaurs, McCree started 27 of 29 games. In that time span, he recorded over 400 tackles, picked off seven passes and sacked the quarterback twice. He also had 14 passes defended. McCree's best season was his second year in the league as he picked off six passes, had 11 passes defensed and started every game.
1.DAVID GARRARD, QB, EAST CAROLINA (2002, FOURTH ROUND, 108TH OVERALL)
Garrard served as a backup with spot playing time his first three seasons. He became more valuable filling in for the oft-injured Byron Leftwich before entering the season as a starter for the first time in 2007.
That season, he completed 64 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,509 yards, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions, missing four games due to injury.
Garrard remained the starter through 2010, but could never quite match that success of 2007.
Overall, he threw for 16,003 yards, 89 touchdowns and 54 interceptions during his nine-year career with the Jaguars.
You can follow Andrew Goldberg on Twitter @goaldieberg or email him at andgoldie12@gmail.com.
