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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

Oh, good, it's time to stop

Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.

Brett from Indianapolis, IN:
In your opinion how did the other three teams in the division do in the draft?

Vic: Donald Brown is the Colts kind of back; he can do it all. I was expecting the Colts to go for Ziggy Hood in the first round. The fact that they didn't address defensive tackle right away may have caused them to get a little jumpy and reach for Fili Moala, but I like Moala and I think he'll be worth the two invested in him. The third-round corner will be a player for the Colts, but I don't see much else in their draft class. The Texans got better on defense. Brian Cushing is a top-notch linebacker and Connor Barwin is a Mike McCrary effort guy. The Titans' draft has strength and balance from beginning to end. I love Southern Miss linebacker Gerald McRath in round four.

Jonas from Jacksonville:
My favorite picks in this draft are Jarett Dillard and Rashad Jennings. What's your favorite pick other than the top two picks?

Vic: Mike Thomas is my favorite pick. Finally, the Jaguars have a receiver who can do something after he catches the ball.

Franchot from St. Augustine, FL:
I'm glad we had a losing season last year; it was a necessary evil. I am very satisfied with the draft. Welcome to the new Jags era. Do you agree?

Vic: It's rebirth and the Jaguars needed it. The previous ways weren't working. Too many picks and too many dollars were being wasted. The way things are being done now is the way I've wanted things to be done from the beginning. Build through the draft, patch in cheap free agency and draft the best available players. The next phase is player development and that requires patience.

Ray from Jacksonville Beach, FL:
How much do you think character played a role in the Jags' picks?

Vic: It was critical to all picks. The Jaguars didn't evaluate players based on character, but they used character concerns to weed out the undesirables from the talent pool.

Ben from Fayetteville, AR:
I find it odd that you claim the Jags stood by their BAP board. If that is the case, then the player's position is a huge factor in the BAP analysis.

Vic: Of course it is. Where have you been? Players at premium positions are favored over players at non-premium positions. When will this end? I have an idea: Let's suspend conversation about BAP until next winter, and then we'll start all over again. It's so much fun. It reminds me of the man who kept banging his head into the wall. Someone asked him: Doesn't that hurt? Yeah, the guy said, but it feels so good when I stop. We'll today's the day we stop.

Miguel from Jacksonville:
So if quality big guys are still available, you keep drafting them?

Vic: I think most personnel guys would say yes. I can tell you that was clearly the case in this draft.

Colin from Tallahassee, FL:
I like this draft so much, Vic. The best part is paying next year's second-round pick third-round money.

Vic: I'm beaming with pride. This one is in the "Ask Vic" Hall of Fame for all the right reasons. I tip my hat to you, sir.

David from Atlanta, GA:
What is it the Jags saw in Terrance Knighton that made them fall in love with him? Like Derek Cox, he's a guy that I'd never heard of and I didn't see his name pop up on any of the multiple-round mocks.

Vic: They saw a big, athletic guy who could play, and they knew every other team in the league saw it, too, and that he wasn't going to last another round. Bill Parcells had him in his sights and was ready to take him.

Robert from Hargill, TX:
The Jags failed to draft a QB. Graham Harrell, Chase Daniels?

Vic: Weak arm, too short. This isn't the Big 12. This is the NFL.

Benjamin from Liberty University:
I attend Liberty and was able to watch Rashad Jennings play over the past two years. I understand that he did not play against the best competition, but his numbers were astounding.

Vic: He played against top competition as a freshman at Pitt and by season's end he had established himself as their back of the future. He played particularly well against Notre Dame and West Virginia that year. His father's declining health caused him to transfer – Liberty is in his hometown of Lynchburg, VA – and Pitt sympathetically released him from his commitment, which then allowed Jennings to transfer without losing eligibility. It's a nice father and son story and I plan to explore it this weekend.

Richard from Jacksonville:
I found your response to James from Jupiter's comments inappropriate, condescending and objectionable. There was nothing in his question to indicate allegiance to any college.

Vic: Yeah, but I saw "fsu.edu" in his e-mail address. He still hasn't said I'm wrong.

Richard from Boulder, CO:
Mel Kiper's grades are in and the Jaguars were assessed a C . What gives?

Vic: It's his opinion and it says everything about his success as a draftnik that people attach such importance to it. Let me tell you this: There is no scout in the NFL that knows about every player in the draft. It's impossible for any one man, including a GM, to know the whole draft class. That's why every team has area scouts. If I ask the Jaguars' northeast area scout about a guy from Penn State, he can tell me everything there is to know about the guy, but if I ask him about a player from Florida, his answer will be, "I don't know; I didn't do him." Kiper is in the same situation. He can't possibly know about every guy. Derek Cox, in my opinion, is a classic example of that. He missed him. It's just that simple. The league didn't miss him. Half the league was at the kid's pro day. If I could get access to those teams' boards, I would expect to see Cox in the top third of those boards. He'd have to be because he was an ultra-productive player who had a lights-out workout and he plays a premium position. Kiper missed him, but for a logical reason: Cox wasn't invited to the combine. Why not? That's the big question. Why wasn't he invited to the combine? Did Blesto and National miss him, too? I'll try to get the answer.

Jeremy from Hoover, AL:
I talked to my friend who goes to Liberty. He thinks Rashad Jennings was a steal in round seven and that the Jaguars will be very pleased with him. What was your opinion of the pick?

Vic: Jennings is another example of Kiper's power and influence. Kiper had Jennings, Lydon Murtha and Ellis Lankster on his BAP list for rounds and rounds without those players being picked, which would tend to indicate that Kiper's board didn't exactly match the league's 32 boards. Fans saw those names move across the bottom of their TV screen hour after hour, bought into the hype and literally started to pine for those guys. When they were finally drafted, the consensus opinion was that their teams got outrageous steals. Yes, Jennings is outstanding value, but let's not assign outrageous expectations to a seventh-round pick. Easy, everybody, easy.

Ryan from Los Angeles, CA:
All-time receiving yards leaders: 1.) Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley St. 2.) Isaac Bruce, Memphis. 5.) Terrell Owens, Tennessee-Chattanooga. 8.) Henry Ellard, Fresno St. 9.) Randy Moss, Marshall. 10.) Andre Reed, Kutztown. Some were higher picks than others, but if you need confirmation that you find players where you find players, especially at receiver, this is it.

Vic: Good work.

Jeremy from Green Bay, WI:
Does Derek Cox have the potential to be a similar player to Antoine Winfield?

Vic: Cox is said to be a good tackler. Winfield is the best tackler of all the cornerbacks in the league.

Eli from Miami, FL:
The Derek Cox criticism has nothing to do with where he played. Jags fans wouldn't care if he played at a community college as long as he could "ball." The point of the criticism is twofold: 1.) where he was picked, considering that no one, not even the fans of his own school thought he'd be anything more than a late-round pick or free agent; 2.) that we tossed away a 2010 second-rounder for a chance at drafting the esteemed Mr. Cox. What good is BAP when you play fast and loose with high draft picks?

Vic: The flaw in your twofold theory is onefold: You think you know, but you don't know.

Gabe from Jacksonville:
Keenan McCardell, 12th round; Donald Driver, seventh round; Brandon Marshall, fourth round; Joe Horn, fifth round; Troy Brown, eighth round; Cris Carter, fourth round; Andre Reed, fourth round; Steve Largent, fourth round; Rod Smith, undrafted.

Vic: John Stallworth, fourth round; Raymond Berry, 20th round.

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