(Sportsbooks) - The Jaguars were done in last season largely due to injury problems on defense, so enhancing their base of talent on that side of the football will likely be the franchise's top draft-day goal. High-priced defensive end Reggie Hayward has given the Jags a total of eight sacks in his two years in Jacksonville (he missed last season with a torn Achilles), so finding someone to push him figures to be a priority. Middle linebacker Mike Peterson and strong safety Donovin Darius are both on the wrong side of 30 and sustained season-ending injuries in 2006, so their respective successors could be a part of this year's draft crop as well. On offense, Jacksonville could use at least two of its six second-day picks on linemen. The Jags appear flush with backs and receivers at this stage, and are probably a year away from requiring a change to the depth chart at quarterback. 2006 Record: 8-8 First Pick: No. 17 Number of Selections: 9 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7) RECENT FIRST ROUND HISTORY: 2006 - Marcedes Lewis (TE, UCLA); 2005 - Matt Jones (WR/TE, Arkansas); 2004 - Reggie Williams (WR, Washington); 2003 - Byron Leftwich (QB, Marshall); 2002 - John Henderson (DT, Tennessee); 2001 - Marcus Stroud (DT, Georgia); 2000 - R. Jay Soward (WR, USC); 1999 - Fernando Bryant (CB, Alabama); 1998 - Fred Taylor (RB, Florida), Donovin Darius (S, Syracuse); 1997 - Renaldo Wynn (DT, Notre Dame); 1996 - Kevin Hardy (LB, Illinois); 1995 - Tony Boselli (OT, USC), James Stewart (RB, Tennessee). |
