If it was excitement Jaguars wanted on draft night, they got it.
They got a quarterback, too.
Blaine Gabbert, a quarterback from the University of Missouri, on Thursday became the second player at the position ever selected by the Jaguars in the first round when the team selected him No. 10 overall in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
The Jaguars traded up from the No. 16 selection of the first round with the Washington Redskins.
"It's surreal," Gabbert told ESPN following the selection. "I'm blessed to be in such a situation where I can succeed in Florida."
The move was something of a surprise, Many observers believed the Jaguars might trade down for more selections, but few anticipated a trade up.
Jaguars General Manager Gene Smith and Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio each said before the draft selecting a developmental quarterback was a possibility. They also each said David Garrard likely will remain the starter for the foreseeable future.
Whether the lofty selection of Gabbert changes that remains to be seen, and will be a key storyline of the franchise in the coming weeks, month and seasons.
Gabbert (6-feet-4, 242 pounds) had been projected as a potential No. 1 overall selection in the draft early in the pre-draft process He completed 301 of 475 passes for 3,186 yards and 16 touchdowns with nine interceptions this past season.
