ESPN NFL

With the second pick in the first round, the Jacksonville Jaguars got themselves a rock of an offensive tackle in Luke Joeckel.

What did they get with the first pick of the second round?

A team in dire need of cornerstones might have found one for the defense in Johnathan Cyprien, the strong safety out of Florida International.

Initial reports out of Jacksonville are very solid. It’s obviously early, but Cyprien could be the linchpin of a young secondary that grows up together, helping slow the run and cover the sort of tight ends who are increasingly posing matchup issues around the league.

“The thing we really enjoyed about evaluating him was his football instincts," said DeWayne Walker, the Jaguars' defensive backs coach. “Some guys, they have that halo effect where they kind of feel the game, and he has a real good feel for the game.

"We’re going to have to smooth him out, and we’re going to have to polish him up a little bit. At the same time, he definitely brings a lot of good tools to the table.”

Not too may years ago, the AFC South had a major dearth of quality safeties. Gradually, the position has gotten better. If Cyprien can be an impact guy, he and free safety Dwight Lowery can make the position one of the Jaguars’ most solid.

Cyprien comes across as a polite, confident young man eager to learn and to prove himself. He grew up admiring Sean Taylor, Troy Polamalu and Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas, who went to the same high school and ranks as a friend who has offered a great deal of encouragement.

A late bloomer at North Miami Beach (Fla.) High School, Cyprien dreamed of playing at Texas, but had just two scholarship offers -- from Central Michigan and FIU. He stayed in Florida, and a big senior season in college turned him into a borderline first-round pick.

The Jaguars surely could have gotten good value by trading out of the 33rd position in the draft, but stayed put and jumped on him.

“It’s a big position, a big role in this defense,” Cyprien said. “You’re allowed to do a lot of things. You’re allowed to have a lot of fun. I’m planning on having a lot of fun playing that position.

“I guess you could say it could be hard for a rookie to be a leader. I wouldn’t define it as that, personally. I’m just taking it head on.”

Of eight picks in the draft, the Jaguars spent five on defensive backs: Cyprien in the second round; UConn cornerback Dwayne Gratz in the third; Florida free safety Josh Evans in the sixth; and New Mexico State cornerback Jeremy Harris and Appalachian State cornerback Demetrius McCray both in the seventh.

The Jaguars have a handful of guys with experience for the kids to look to.

Marcus Trufant, a 10-year veteran corner, played on coach Gus Bradley’s defense in Seattle, and could be the nickelback. Another free-agent cornerback, Alan Ball, has played five seasons, but struggled in Houston last year. Safety Chris Prosinski, a fourth-rounder from 2011, should be a backup at best with Cyprien on board. Mike Harris could be a nice nickel candidate in his second season.

Given the uncertainty at the position, I rank the Jaguars’ cornerback group as the most competitive unit in the division.

If Jacksonville is going to be any good on the back end, it’s likely to be because of the draft class’ contribution.

“I think it’s fun for all of us,” Walker said. “These guys were needed. We’re going to be pretty young. It’s fun for all of us to get this group and develop it and prove people wrong …

“Being able to talk with them about the league, these guys are pretty mature. Coach Bradley, [defensive coordinator] Bob Babich, all of our coaches do a good job saying the right things to these guys to get them acclimated. So I think all of our rookies, not only the rookies in the secondary, have come into a situation where we are here to help them, we are here to develop them to be competitive football players.”

Walker, who was the head coach at New Mexico State from 2009 to 2012, where he posted a 10-40 record, left in January to join Bradley's staff. Previously, Walker coached defensive backs for the Washington Redskins, New York Giants, New England Patriots and at Cal. He was also defensive coordinator at UCLA.

The assistant coach is a straight shooter who has been telling the rookies about the identity he wants his players to have, Cyprien said. They need to be sound in the techniques they are taught, and they should all look the same on tape.

“I think it’s a challenge for him, I think it’s good for him,” Cyprien said of the influx of youth in the secondary. “I know we have him excited, because we just want to run around, and we’re hungry to learn and we’re asking a lot of questions.”

At his best, defensive tackle Tyson Alualu has been a solid player.

The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't seen his best often enough, partly because he has dealt with a bad knee for much of his time since they drafted him out of Cal 10th overall in 2010.

Gus Bradley and the new defensive staff are making a big change with Alualu for his fourth season. Per John Oehser, Alualu is moving to end.

From Oehser:

Alualu said he mostly will either play on the tight end side of the defense, or the back side of the defense head up over the offensive tackle on that side. He said believes playing outside works more to his strengths -- taking on double teams with the tight end and stopping the run -- than playing inside.

That leaves the Jaguars with newcomers Roy Miller and Sen'Derrick Marks as the top tackles, and injury-prone D'Anthony Smith and second-year man Jeris Pendleton as the top candidates for depth.

If the new Jaguars coaches think Alualu can be more effective outside, then it's a good move. But it reflects poorly on the pick by former GM Gene Smith back in 2010. A stout, penetrating defensive tackle can be worth the 10th pick in the draft. A run-stopping end? Not so much.

Alualu told Oehser playing end should also mean less wear and tear on his knee, so that could be a factor in the move as well.

The move also expands the question about Jeremy Mincey. Jason Babin is expected to be the Leo, rush end and Andre Branch should wind up working there, too. Mincey could wind up playing behind Alualu, at best.

Maurice Jones-Drew thinks the media is blowing Justin Blackmon's four-game suspension out of proportion.

In making such a claim I believe he’s doing a disservice to Blackmon.

A four-game suspension under the league’s policy against substance abuse is a big deal, a sign of a growing issue. It’s not something to be casually dismissed as being about the media.

I believe Jones-Drew’s response to Blackmon’s situation is nothing short of irresponsible. He said the reaction’s been “out of control.”

"The media just blows it out of proportion," Jones-Drew said, per an Associated Press report. "A lot of people make several mistakes. If you're that age and you have that amount of money, how would you act? If you answer that question truthfully, you can go from there."

For a guy who’s got a regular gig on Sirius-XM Radio, who serves as the face of the franchise on a national level and who has the ability to be charming and disarming, I’m amazed at how consistently Jones-Drew misses the mark on big issues.

He was critical of Jay Cutler not playing in the 2010 NFC Championship Game, but then sprinted away from his comments, telling people he was joking, but apologizing and shifting blame to the media. He disrespected the Jaguars new coach last year, failing to communicate directly with Mike Mularkey about how he wouldn’t be reporting to OTAs. Then Jones-Drew failed to gain an inch as a result of a purposeless holdout that stood no chance of helping him or his team.

As for his casual response to Blackmon’s suspension:

There are plenty of first-round picks in the NFL who can qualify as young and newly rich who don’t get into repeated trouble with alcohol (and, perhaps, something else we don’t know about). At that age and with that amount of money, a high percentage of them have managed not to get suspended for four games. That’s what they did. Though he wasn't as highly drafted as Blackmon, that's what Jones-Drew did, by the way.

The media didn’t sign up for a collective bargaining agreement that spells out what has to be done to earn a four-game suspension.

The media didn’t get itself placed in the first phase of the NFL’s policy and program for substances of abuse. Or commit the violation necessary to be placed in the second phase. Or commit the violation required in order to earn the four-game suspension for a violation once in the second phase.

The media isn’t missing four games, hurting the team MJD is supposed to be leading.

The media isn’t costing itself nearly $220,000 or triggering a clause in Blackmon’s contract that enables the Jaguars to cut him at any point going forward without being on the hook for any further money.

As a member of the media, I’m admittedly, inherently, get defensive when things are blamed on the media that aren’t the media’s fault. (We are hardly without sin. The volume on Tim Tebow? That's us. Blackmon's problems? That's Blackmon.) If Blackmon drove drunk and injured an innocent bystander, I wonder if MJD would put that on reporters and columnists.

Full disclosure: Jones-Drew and I don’t get along. He hasn’t cared for much of what I’ve written about him. He and his agent and his loyalists and maybe even some team brass will see this blog post as piling on.

That’s the price that comes with seeking to hold a star player accountable for comments that often are not well thought out. He’s an excellent football player. When he chimes in on topics like this one, I feel like he's often trying to pass the buck rather than showing a belief in the importance of personal accountability.

At least Jones-Drew said that Blackmon has something to prove going forward.

"We're going to see what kind of character he has," Jones-Drew said.

It’s good to know there is a point at which MJD will stop shifting blame and defending a teammate in the wrong.

For the sake of everyone involved, I hope it doesn’t get worse for Blackmon. Another misstep means a year suspension and would probably be the end of him as a member of the Jaguars.

Another Jaguars receiver had troubles that started in a similar fashion. Things wound up far worse for Jimmy Smith: He just got sentenced to six years in prison for drug possession and weapons charges.

Justin Blackmon spoke to the Jacksonville media Monday and addressed the violation of the league's substance-abuse policy that resulted in his four-game suspension.

He said a lot of the right things, just as he’s said after alcohol-related issues in the past.

He was bluntly asked if he has drinking or had a substance abuse problem.

“No, I would say I don’t,” he responded. “Out of this whole thing one of the main things I would say that I had a problem with was just making a poor decision, making a selfish decision at that and not thinking about the long-term of it and just thinking about at the time. If you want to ask if I have a problem? I have a problem with making a poor decision.”

He’ll lean on his support group headed by general manager David Caldwell and Jaguars coach Gus Bradley.

“(They) have been very supportive ever since they’ve been here,” Blackmon said. “I’ve been going in and talking to them almost every day so having them there, having the teammates here that I have here have been very supportive here and it feels good to have people I can lean on and talk to.”

Blackmon was a player on the rise at the end of the 2012 season, but he has really hurt himself with the four-game suspension. If he receives another violation, he’s out a year and his job security will plummet or disappear.

He no-commented when asked if he would be going into any sort of rehab or if it was necessary.

Here’s hoping he’s willingly doing whatever he needs to make sure the decision-making he’s talking of gets better before it’s too late for him.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Who is one highly drafted or highly paid player from each AFC South team who needs to show something during the remainder of the offseason?

Houston Texans: I can’t find a highly paid or highly drafted player who could be in jeopardy. Shiloh Keo was a fifth-round draft pick in 2011 and ranked as a Wade Phillips favorite. Keo played in every game last year, even seeing time as the often-used third safety when Quintin Demps fell out of favor. But Keo is limited, primarily because he’s slow. The Texans replaced Glover Quin with Ed Reed, which doesn’t really affect the bottom of the safety depth chart. Demps is an unsigned free agent who won’t be back. Second-round pick D.J. Swearinger will be the third safety. Keo and Eddie Pleasant are the fourth and fifth safeties now, and the team had five on the roster at the end of last season. But a good player at the back end of another position could prompt them to keep just four, which could put the limited Keo in jeopardy if he doesn’t perform well in camp.

Indianapolis Colts: A team that didn’t have a true nose tackle option last season because of injuries and personnel deficiencies will have a glut this summer if everyone remains healthy. Now they have Aubrayo Franklin and 2012 fifth-rounder Josh Chapman, who’s back from the knee injury that kept him out last year. They also have new fifth-round draft pick Montori Hughes as well as Ricky Jean Francois, a versatile lineman who can man the middle on occasion. I don’t expect Martin Tevaseu to stick, and if the rest of that pack remains healthy, one player who will need to have a solid camp to make his case to stay is Brandon McKinney, who’s due $1 million this year. Brought in as a free agent from Baltimore last year, he too is coming off a serious knee injury. He’s expected to be ready for camp but could have already lost some ground in organized team activities and minicamp.

Jacksonville Jaguars: While the Texans don’t have a highly paid or highly drafted veteran who could be in trouble because they have drafted well and their roster is solid, the Jaguars don’t really have one because they are young and largely unproven. They already parted with an expensive guy who wasn’t worth his contract in strong safety Dawan Landry. Tight and Marcedes Lewis ($4.2 million base this year) and defensive tackle Tyson Alualu ($1.8 million) are overpaid based on recent production, but the Jaguars have money and don’t have promising replacements for either.

Tennessee Titans: I don’t think right tackle David Stewart is in jeopardy. But he’s coming off a down year when he committed too many penalties, is recovering from a broken leg, has an ankle that seems to be a lingering concern and is due a $5 million base salary. I’m not sure Mike Otto or Byron Stingily, the team’s two primary backup tackles, are starting-caliber guys. But the team did visit with free agent Eric Winston, who worked with offensive line coach Bruce Matthews in Houston. If Winston remains on the market and Stewart doesn’t look ready to bounce back, perhaps the Titans would still consider adding Winston and allowing him to slug it out with Stewart. That could be an epic battle.

Football Outsiders continues their red flags series Wednesday, hitting on the AFC South.

Tom Gower takes on the biggest remaining issue for each team.

Houston Texans

Gower says wide receiver: “Considered about the most pro-ready receiver in this year's draft, the Texans are counting on (DeAndre Hopkins') relatively polished route-running skills and natural hands to let him step in as a starter immediately. Most late first-round receivers of late have been eased into the lineup, but the Texans need Hopkins to be a high-impact player immediately.

Kuharsky counters: Sure, Hopkins’ development is a big storyline going forward. But the right side of the offensive line is more of a lingering issue and didn't add a first-round pick. Right tackle Derek Newton is recovering from major knee surgery, and could lose out to third-rounder Brennan Williams. Veteran Ryan Harris could be in the mix as well. Second-year right guards Ben Jones and Brandon Brooks are promising, but also need to prove they are going to be better and solidify a line that needs more consistency on the right side.

Indianapolis Colts

Gower says cornerback: “(Greg Toler) ranked in the top 10 in success rate and yards per pass. However, those stats are heavily dependent on Toler's role. His career history suggests that Toler can be a good nickel or dime corner, as he was in Arizona last year, but that he struggles when asked to play a full-time role.”

Kuharsky concurs: A cornerback pool of Vontae Davis, Toler, Darius Butler, Cassius Vaughn and Josh Gordy really could have used one more solid entry, perhaps between Davis and Toler, but certainly between Butler and Vaughn. Cornerback depth is an issue for most teams, and it was more than a bit surprising that the Colts didn’t add one in the draft. It’s good they didn’t reach, but they might still be on the lookout for some additional help.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gower says quarterback: ”It is very hard to win games with quarterback play as bad as the Jaguars have had recently, and generally requires a strong defense (the Jaguars ranked 28th by Football Outsiders in defensive DVOA in 2012) and a strong running game (the Jaguars ranked 27th by DVOA there). The addition of (Luke) Joeckel and the return to health by Maurice Jones-Drew should mean an improved running game in 2013, but another season of (Blaine) Gabbert and/or (Chad) Henne behind center likely means another high draft pick for Jacksonville in April 2014.”

Kuharsky counters: Gower, pretty much agrees with my thinking here. Sure they need a quarterback. But I don’t see a move they should have made that they didn’t make, and neither does he. Wait a year, build elsewhere, make things better for the next quarterback in a year. So setting quarterback aside, my concern is the pass rush, where they really haven’t added anything on the edge and don’t have sufficient depth.

Tennessee Titans

Gower says defense: “The Titans seem to be counting on a lot of internal improvement, better coaching with the addition of senior defensive assistant Gregg Williams (though Jerry Gray returns as defensive coordinator) and an offense that can do a better job of sustaining drives. While Tennessee fielded a particularly young defense in 2012 and some internal improvement is likely, most defenses that improve quickly devote more resources to adding better players.”

Kuharsky specifies: You can’t have too many pass-rushers, and counting on dramatic improvement from multiple holdovers seems shaky. So I’d narrow Gower’s category to defensive end. The team could sign John Abraham or Israel Idonije, two veteran ends who have visited recently. Adding one would make me feel a lot better about the team at end beyond Derrick Morgan, Kamerion Wimbley and fifth-rounder Lavar Edwards.

Even as they've drawn attention to their desire for the Jacksonville Jaguars to sign Tim Tebow, whoever created a petition to try to get the team's attention is failing miserably.

The petition actually asks President Barack Obama to:

"Call NFL Jacksonville Jaguars GM David Caldwell and tell him to stop ignoring the Jaguars fans and sign Tim Tebow!"

Yeah, that's what the president should be doing, meddling in the affairs of a sports team.

[Update: The petition has been taken down from the White House website. "The petition you are trying to access has been removed from the site under our Moderation Policy because it is in violation of our Terms of Participation."]

That's a relief.

Still, I feel super sorry for the bulk of die-hard Jaguars fans because I know there is not a widespread desire for the team to sign Tebow.

I know they heard general manager David Caldwell, on the day he was introduced, say it wasn't going to happen.

I know they like Caldwell, like the coach he hired, Gus Bradley, and feel like the two men have the team moving in the right direction after a long drought.

Yet they turn on "SportsCenter" and hear a conversation about a petition that wants 100,000 "signatures" and has, at the time I'm writing this, 280.

Yes, we're making noise and giving attention to 280 people.

For that, I apologize.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

With the draft in the rearview mirror, what is the most pressing issue on each AFC South team’s agenda?

Houston Texans: Get DeAndre Hopkins up to speed. The Texans like their first-round draft pick’s experience and think he will be a contributor right from the beginning. So they need to get the receiver on an accelerated program as quickly as possible. The crash course will include time with Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub. Rookie minicamp is May 10-12. Then there are OTAs May 20-21, May 23, May 28-30, June 3-6 and the team’s mandatory minicamp June 11-13. Those will be crucial days for Hopkins to get up to speed. The more he can get out of the spring and summer work, the better off he will be for training camp and the preseason. The more he can get out of all of that, the better the chances he’ll be making plays for the Texans' offense on Sept. 9 in San Diego.

Indianapolis Colts: It’s not as if there are quality veteran cornerbacks out on the market waiting on teams to step forward. But the Colts should continue to consider outside options. They signed Greg Toler as a free agent, re-signed Darius Butler and kept youngsters Cassius Vaughn and Josh Gordy. Safety John Boyett, drafted in the sixth round, can be a help in sub packages as a cover man. But the Colts are going to need a contribution from a fourth corner at some point, and neither Vaughn nor Gordy did much to gain confidence last year. Maybe they make leaps in their second year in the system. But Indianapolis should be looking to add to the group to improve competition and options.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Teach and teach some more. The team’s offseason work will be heavy on getting players up to speed on the new systems of coach Gus Bradley and coordinator Bob Babich on defense and Jedd Fisch on offense. The defense will be something like Seattle’s with the corners asked to be really physical at the line and a hybrid outside linebacker/end keying the rush with speed as a Leo. The offense will put Blaine Gabbert on the move more and look a bit like what Houston does. It’s different. So holdovers, new veterans, draft choices and undrafted rookies all have a lot to learn and get comfortable with.

Tennessee Titans: Begin to jell. It’s not a process that can be accelerated, but the Titans could have as many as seven new starters. They have 12 free-agent additions and eight draftees added to the mix. They need the newcomers to meld with the guys in place, forge offensive and defensive identities and establish who will lead and who should be followed. Only so much of that can happen before camp. But in a rookie orientation camp, the remaining OTAs and minicamp, a lot of important seeds can be planted that might be able to take root before training camp starts in late July to get ready for a crucial season.

Early in the week in a radio conversation with Mike Detillier, who I find to be a very good draft analyst, I asked him to compare and contrast the Jaguars' Dwayne Gratz and the Titans' Blidi Wreh-Wilson.

The two UConn cornerbacks were drafted six picks apart early in the third round.

Detillier much prefers the guy the Titans got in Wreh-Wilson.

“I like Blidi a lot better,” he said. “... He looks the part, he’s got great size and length. He’s not a very good open field tackler. But he’s got the skills downfield that you want in a football player.

“... Gratz, he’s the NFL Network player. He’s not the player on the field. He’s a guy who looks at though his agent talked to the right people and they pumped him up pretty good. Blidi Wreh-Wilson is the better player.”

That seemed pretty strong, so I sought out more opinion.

(Shortly after he was drafted, Wreh-Wilson spoke well of Gratz: “He is a big corner. He is a strong kid. He had more reps than anyone at the combine for a corner. He is a good corner too.”)

One NFL coach told me he preferred Wreh-Wilson.

ESPN.com’s Scouts Inc. has Wreh-Wilson graded as a second-rounder and Gratz as a third-rounder.

While Gus Bradley’s defense in Seattle was predicated on big corners pressing receivers at the line and disrupting routes and timing, they played both man and Cover 3 zone behind it.

Gratz is 5-foot-11 and 201 pounds; Wreh-Wilson is 6-1, 195. I asked Kevin Weidl and Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. to compare and contrast them and tell me a bit about why Gratz may have come off the board first.

Indications to me at this point are that Jacksonville will look to play mostly man after banging receivers at the line. But it can’t be set in stone either way yet considering the team drafted three corners and two safeties and didn’t bring back much experience from the old regime in the secondary.

Weidl expects they’ll play primarily zone behind that press, and that would be the primary rationale for choosing Gratz with both prospects on the board.

“Jacksonville plays a lot of press-zone coverage which is why they probably preferred Gratz over Wreh-Wilson,” Weidl said. “Gratz isn't as fluid as Wreh-Wilson but has better eyes in coverage which is a big quality in a heavy zone scheme.”

Here’s Muench on the two former UConn corners:

“There are plenty of similarities between the two,” he said. “Neither one of them shows elite foot speed in space so they have some limitations in off man coverage. Both are three-year starters with great size-speed combinations and obviously they played in the same scheme. Wreh-Wilson was a two-time team captain so he has a slight edge in terms of the intangibles but both are reportedly good kids and hard workers.

"Both are more than capable of contributing in the NFL but Wreh-Wilson is a little more fluid, he has slightly better instincts and he's better against the run. He also performed better the week of the Senior Bowl. He showed better body control and was more consistent in Mobile.

"There are a few reasons Gratz may have come off the board first.

“The first is durability. Gratz started 41 consecutive games to end his college career. Wreh-Wilson has missed time with hand, hamstring and knee injuries. The second is big play ability. Gratz has much bigger hands [10.4 inches compared to Wreh-Wilson's 8.6] and he plays the ball better. The third is Wreh-Wilson's two 40-times at the combine were significantly different and it may have concerned some teams. I doubt this had a major impact because his speed isn't an issue on tape. He ran in the 4.4s on one of his 40 attempts in Indianapolis and he ran well at Connecticut's pro day. Just thought it worth mentioning.”

I think it’s going to be fun to get to know these two and to compare and contrast them more as they develop.

PFT has pointed out since Justin Blackmon's suspension that contractual language would allow the team to release him now without any further financial burden.

That’s an interesting bit of news.

But I know for sure the Jaguars have no intention of releasing him.

New general manager Dave Caldwell and new coach Gus Bradley may have inherited Blackmon from the previous regime. But that doesn’t mean they don’t like him.

Blackmon was widely regarded as the best receiver in the draft last year, and Jaguars GM Gene Smith traded up to draft him fifth overall. It was a bold move that addressed a very weak roster spot.

Blackmon may have issues, but he’s also got something the Jaguars need a lot more of: talent.

He came on in the latter part of his rookie season and appears to be on his way to be a solid pro, provided, of course, he can get his issues in order and be available on Sundays.

ESPN Stats & Information said among rookie receivers in 2012, Blackmon ranked first with 128 targets, tied for first with 64 receptions, first with 865 yards and tied for second with five touchdowns.

The drinking and driving on his résumé and a four-game suspension for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy isn't enough to prompt this team -- and I doubt any team -- to give up on that talent in just his second year.

Statement from Blackmon: "I’ve made a mistake and I have no excuse. I am truly sorry and disappointed in myself for putting the Jaguars in this situation, and I look forward to putting this behind me and maturing and growing as a person. I will have a productive training camp and preseason with my team, and during the suspension I will work hard to stay in top football shape and be ready to help the Jaguars when I return. I have chosen to be accountable for my poor decision, and I sincerely apologize to my teammates, coaches, the front office and Jaguars fans for the impact of my mistake on the team."

Statement from Caldwell: “Coach Bradley and I have spoken with Justin, and he is well aware of our disappointment. I don’t think there is any question that Justin is embarrassed and remorseful, and Coach Bradley and I are both confident he understands the obligations ahead of him, to himself, the franchise and the fans. We will support him throughout the process and continue to work to educate him and all of our players on making the right decisions. The Jaguars have made a lot of progress over the past three months, and we will not allow this news to slow us down.”

Adam Schefter just tweeted that Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon is being suspended for the first four games of the 2013 season.

He violated the league's substance abuse policy.

The Jaguars are not particularly deep anywhere. Blackmon and Cecil Shorts are the two starting receivers. Mohamed Massaquoi would be next in line outside.

The best guy after that is likely to be fourth-round draft pick Ace Sanders from South Carolina, a small slot guy at 5-foot-7 and 173-pounds.

Jacksonville's first five games are against Kansas City, at Oakland, at Seattle and against Indianapolis.

The Jaguars are planning on staying out West between the games against the Raiders and Seahwaks. So beyond missing four games, Blackmon will miss a big bonding week on the road.

The draft didn’t do much to change the views of the panel that votes on ESPN.com’s NFL Power Rankings.

Our four teams moved a grand total of two spots -- the Colts dipped to 10 from nine; the Jaguars rose from 32 to 31.


I don’t know that I would have moved anyone any distance, either. Everybody gets better in the draft and no one gets so much better than the rest as to make a large gain.

We don’t see another version of these until we have far more to go on. We will have seen a good share of training camp.

Here's how the voters voted from Mike Sando.

You can’t grade a draft class on production the day after it is finished being put together.

But America demands grades, so Mel Kiper Jr. offers them .

He bases them on how teams answered these three questions:

" How much overall talent did a team add based on board position?
" How effectively did they address key personnel needs?
" How efficient were they in maneuvering on the draft board?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Overall grade: B-plus

One thought from Kiper Jr.: Johnathan Cyprien was one of the best safeties in college football last season, and should be the starter at strong safety in Week 1. Dwayne Gratz is a physical corner who should also start immediately.

Tennessee Titans

Overall grade: B-plus

One thought from Kiper Jr.: “The Titans may not have any idea what will become of Jake Locker. I don't know either. But they sure as heck should be better running the ball in 2013 behind the line they're building, and between whatever pressure that takes off Locker and the addition of yet another receiver, they can say they gave him a chance.”

Houston Texans

Overall grade: B

One thought from Kiper Jr.: “Trevardo Williams was a steal for me. Wade Phillips can get him on the field because Williams can rush the passer and was hugely productive.”

Indianapolis Colts

Overall grade: C-plus

One thought from Kiper Jr.: “One pick I think could help now and be a great option for this offense is Kerwynn Williams. He's a speedster, and if they can find him touches you're going to see some explosive plays.”

The draft is in the books.

What went under-addressed in the AFC South?

Here’s my thinking for spots on each tam where there will be an emphasis on undrafted rookies and where teams may now look for some veteran help, be it soon or before the season when some players are let free by other teams.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars resisted any urge to draft a quarterback, but they will go into camp with more than Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne. They can sell opportunity to undrafted guys as much or more than any team in the league -- to quarterbacks and to players across the board. Teams that drafted a quarterback may soon have one to part with, and they could be candidates to add to the Jaguars’ mix.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans didn’t have things break for them before the fifth round for a defensive end. They expect the pass rush to improve thanks to scheme, player improvement and better coverage. Still, for the competition they’ve created on the offensive line and at receiver, they really need to do more to try to churn up better rush options off the edge beyond their starting two.

Indianapolis Colts

I’m surprised the Colts didn’t draft a cornerback. They can probably be OK with Vontae Davis, Greg Toler, Darius Butler as their top three. But the depth after that is headed by Cassius Vaughn and Josh Gordy. Those two didn’t instill a lot of confidence last season, and David is heading into the last year of his deal. Indianapolis needs additional resources at the position.

Houston Texans

With Justin Forsett gone to Jacksonville as a free agent and Ben Tate a year away from potential free agency, the Texans need to see what other options they can develop as insurance and for the future at running back. Arian Foster was an undrafted free agent, so Houston can sell a couple backs on the idea that they can function well in the Texans' system, just like Foster did when his chance arrived.

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South


The AFC South’s two 3-4 teams spent first-, third- and fourth-round picks on pass-rushing outside linebackers, trying to amp up the pressure they can put on opposing quarterbacks.

The Colts will be converting first-rounder Bjoern Werner of Florida State from a college defensive end to an outside linebacker, where he probably will compete for time on the strong side with free-agent acquisition Erik Walden. Walden is a solid run player, so if Werner can get into the backfield, they might complement each other well.

Werner has drawn comparisons to Paul Kruger, who left the Ravens after the Super Bowl to join the Cleveland Browns.

In Houston, the pass rush was overly reliant on J.J. Watt last season and lost Connor Barwin to Philadelphia in free agency. Enter third-rounder Sam Montgomery from LSU and fourth-rounder Trevardo Williams from UConn.

The two college ends will move back a unit in Wade Phillips’ defense. If they pan out on the strong side, Brooks Reed probably will move inside and work there with Brian Cushing.

BEST MOVE

The Jaguars steered clear of a quarterback.

They had the second pick overall and flip-flopped between first and second in each subsequent round. It’s a great landscape to add a lot of talent to a team that needs an influx and chose not to spend a lot in free agency.

Jacksonville added cheaper veterans who it thinks might blossom and be more productive in its systems.

A team that wants to be draft-centric wasn’t tempted by EJ Manuel, Geno Smith, Mike Glennon, Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib, Tyler Wilson or Landry Jones.

Meanwhile the Jaguars grabbed a cornerstone lineman in Luke Joeckel, probable starting strong safety Johnathan Cyprien, big corner Dwayne Gratz, receiver/punt returner Ace Sanders, running back/kick returner Denard Robinson and free safety Josh Evans with their first six picks.

They dealt away the first pick of the fourth round and let Philadelphia draft Barkley.

I don’t believe Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne will prove to be a long-term answer for the franchise. But I don’t believe any of the alternatives available through six rounds of this draft would have either. So I like the focus and determination to add pieces elsewhere.

When the time comes, probably next year, to add the quarterback, he’ll be joining a better roster.

RISKIEST MOVE

Indianapolis fifth-round defensive tackle Montori Hughes had issues at the University of Tennessee that got him thrown off the team. He told Indianapolis reporters that the Colts were the only team he would be talking to.

There are indications that he matured as he finished up at UT-Martin, but if his previous troubles are a predictor of future troubles, the Colts could be bringing a headache onto themselves.

“I went through some academic troubles and I went through some team issues and then I transferred down to UT-Martin,” Hughes said. “I had a new coach, so I transferred down, and I felt like it was a good fit at the time. Everything from when I first went on the campus at UT-Martin had a good feeling about it.

“So when I went down there, I just went to work and knew I had to prove to myself and others that I was a better person than what was out there and just go to work every day, go hard, go hard on the field, on and off, and just learn to play football, the passion for the game. I just love being out there, so just taking it one day at a time.”

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

Outside of the first round, the biggest name to come into the AFC South was Robinson, the former Michigan quarterback. Jacksonville drafted him in the fifth round, 135th overall, as a running back and kick returner.

The Jaguars need playmakers for sure, but it feels like there is a bit of danger connected to a guy drafted to play running back who has never played running back. Robinson is regarded as a high-character guy with great drive. He wants to succeed and is willing to do whatever is asked of him.

If he pans out, it could be a real boom pick, offering hard-to-defend, hard-to-predict chunks of yardage.

FILE IT AWAY

Jaguars corner Gratz, Titans cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson and two Texans -- outside linebacker Williams and tight end Ryan Griffin -- all played together for the UConn Huskies.

UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni spent six years in the NFL coaching ranks, including terms as defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys.

The Titans said they had Gratz (5-11, 201) and Wreh-Wilson (6-1, 195) rated close to each other on their board. As teams look for corners with more size who can press, hit and hold up, they’ll be an interesting duo to watch grow up in the same division.