PFF: Jaguars Had 2nd Most Productive Draft Class in 2019
The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't have a great 2019 by any definition of the word. The team finished 6-10 and found themselves in the last place of the AFC South for the second consecutive year.
But the Jaguars' year wasn't a complete loss. In fact, quite a few occurrences indicated the Jaguars have a potentially bright future as long as the cards fall right. This included the performances of several members of the team's 2019 NFL Draft class, which was highlighted by seventh overall pick Josh Allen, sixth-round quarterback Gardner Minshew, and second-round offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor.
Allen and Taylor were named to the Pro Football Writers Association's All-Rookie team following the season, while Minshew led all rookie passers in wins with six.
The trio was so impressive that the Jaguars ranked highly in Pro Football Focus' ranking of most productive rookie classes in 2019. Jacksonville's rookies were ranked the second most productive group in the entire NFL, behind only the Washington Redskins.
"Anytime you can get the most valuable rookie in the NFL (Gardner Minshew) in the sixth round of the draft, you're going to finish pretty high on this list," PFF wrote. "The Jaguars also got promising performances from early picks Josh Allen and Jawaan Taylor, both members of the PFF All-Rookie Team."
Minshew was also named the team's best value pick by PFF, which is an obvious choice considering he was the 178th player drafted in 2019. Minshew threw 21 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 14 games (12 starts) as a rookie and has set himself up to a full-time option at quarterback moving forward.
With that said, the Jaguars could make a case for being ranked ahead of Washington. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins played well down the stretch and wide receiver Terry McLaurin had one of the best rookie seasons from a receiver in recent memory, but the Jaguars arguably got a greater impact from their rookies.
Minshew was one of the two best rookie quarterbacks in 2019, joining Kyler Murray in having superior seasons to Haskins. As for Allen, he led all rookies in sacks with 10.5, which is also a Jaguars rookie record. Allen may not have been as disruptive on an every-down basis, but his production, which also includes 11 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, is hard to ignore.
But it is the production of Taylor which could arguably give the Jaguars an edge. He started all 16 games at right tackle and was the only rookie to play every single one of his team's snaps on his respected side of the ball.
The rest of the Jaguars' draft class aside from the top three players failed to make a large impact in 2019, but players such as Ryquell Armstead, Josh Oliver, and Quincy Williams will get their opportunities moving forward, meaning Jacksonville's rookie class could look even better in the future.
