The NFLDraftguys staff is going simulate playing the GM of each of the 31 teams picking in the first round and justify their picks. You can look forward to a new pick every day leading up to April 28, when the staff will be in Radio City Music Hall to see if they took our advice.
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Follow the progress of the On The Clock Draft Board, where you can see exactly how the first round would play out if the NFLDraftguys staff were making the calls in the war room.
Sean Baca
With the 17th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars SHOULD take Reggie Nelson , S, Florida
Adam Carriker would also make sense and in my scenario he is there but Reggie Nelson to me is a no-brainer if he's still there. Deon Grant is gone and that leaves a nice little void for the Gator to slide right on into.
Reggie just makes plays in big games, and has great sideline to sideline and closing speed. He reads routes and tempts QB's to throw at him and then closes the deal with interceptions. He shows up to play in pressure situations and that characteristic is invaluable in a skill player. The Jaguars have a stout defensive front and a ball hawking safety like Nelson would help shorten the field for the offense creating more scoring opportunities. Help on both sides of the ball? He's there, you need him, cut and dry.
Marc Faletti
With the 17th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars SHOULD select Reggie Nelson, FS, Florida.
Deon Grant bolted for richer pastures in Seattle, meaning the Jaguars need defensive backfield help in the worst way. In fact, they need it so badly, they should either move up to make sure they can select Nelson or target Brandon Meriweather (which might allow them to move down a few slots). Luckily for them in "my world," Nelson's still available at 17, fits their primary need, and happens to be the best player left.
A rangy speedster with soft hands and solid hitting skills, Nelson would be expected to start from day one. There's some question about his natural intelligence given his academic struggles, which has led a few scouts to wonder if Nelson can become the kind of field general teams like to see from the FS position. Those concerns (along with a 20 lb. weight differential) have created some of the separation between Landry and Nelson.
In fairness, while Nelson may not be a bookhound, he's also not one to make many dumb plays on the football field. He's proven to be a dominant center fielder against the pass and an effective gap-plugger in run support. He's a relentless worker. He tracks and fights for the ball. He can even return a few punts. If the Jags stay put and Nelson manages to last until 17, Jacksonville will be the proud recipient of a complete football player.
Cecil Lammey
With the 17th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars SHOULD take Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Jacksonville Jaguars need some more playmakers on offense. Lord Byron Leftwich has the arm to rocket the ball anywhere on the field, yet the Jaguars were not airing it out last year. Enter the solution: draft Ted Ginn Jr.
Ted Ginn can do it all. He is a great route runner with what scouts call "sick quickness". Ginn can get open against anybody with an array of moves off the line of scrimmage. He can run routes with some of the best in the league - and get this - the kid is still learning the position. He originally came to Ohio State as a CB, but converted to WR and has been a damn fine one at that. He has good pad speed, and was timed - on a wet track - at his pro day with a 4.38 40 yard dash. He has the wheels to get past defenders, and he is hella-dangerous as a return man.
Ginn is the type of player that can strike fear into opposing defenses. Whether it's on a KR/PR - or a wheel route, this kid can score from almost anywhere on the field. Ginn is the perfect solution to Jacksonville's offensive (passing) offense.
Sigmund Bloom
With the 17th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars SHOULD select Reggie Nelson, FS, Florida.
This is perhaps the easiest pick to mock in the first round this year, and a rare place where what a team SHOULD do, what a team WILL do, and what a team CAN do are in perfect harmony. The Panthers seem like the only real threat to pull the rug out from under the Jags and take a player that they are clearly VERY interested in before their pick is on the clock.
Nelson is not the all-around uberstud that LaRon Landry is (he sometimes whiffs going for the big hit and does not have the brilliant track record from frosh to senior that is on Landry's resume) but he does have the best range in coverage of any safety in the draft - the kind of deep range that puts him in the company of all star centerfielders like Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, and Andruw Jones (it is April after all). This deep range will not only provide an instant replacement for Deon Grant and the ability to free up Donovan Darius to crack skulls in the box, it will allow the cornerbacks to play more aggressively and in the process, create "coverage sacks" for the sagging pass rush.
The moving trucks with all of Nelson's possessions should not have to go far. Reggie is likely to remain a fan favorite in Florida, just on Sundays instead of Saturdays.
