In perhaps the biggest surprise in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select wide receiver Kevin White out of West Virginia.
White, a 6’3 210-pound wideout who caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and ten touchdowns in 2014, would give second-year QB Blake Bortles a dynamic and explosive weapon down field to form a dangerous three-WR trio of White and second-year wideouts Allen Robinson and Marquise Lee.
Despite having Allen Hurns, Lee, Robinson and former first-round pick Justin Blackmon already on the roster, Jacksonville is rumored to be one of the biggest suitors in free agency to target a wide receiver such as Randall Cobb and Jeremy Maclin.
As I stated on the group mock draft at DraftUtopia.com, the lack of a true No.1 wideout and the loss of Cecil Shorts III to free agency, could force the Jaguars into gambling on a wideout again and passing on defense, which is the calling card of head coach Gus Bradley. Couple in the uncertainty in the status of the suspended Blackmon, and I see little reason for Jacksonville to pass on perhaps the top player in his position in the draft.
While some may call this move a reach, for the Jaguars it’s a classic case of drafting the best player available over need.
It’s a bold move indeed for the upstart Jaguars. But after surprising many in selecting Blake Bortles third overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, look for them to once again shock many in giving their franchise signal-caller a playmaker such as White.