How Valuable Is the 9th Overall Pick? What Recent NFL Draft History Reveals

Needing a massive influx of talent, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a prime opportunity to build their roster in the 2020 NFL Draft thanks to a pair of first-round draft picks.

Jacksonville currently holds picks No. 9 and 20, with the latter coming as a result of the Jaguars trading cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams for a haul of draft picks in October. This is the first time since 1998 that the Jaguars have had this much ammo in the draft's first night, so the magnitude of how important these picks are to a franchise which has struggled mightily can't be undersold.

When looking at the Jaguars' picks, the question is just how much can the two players Jacksonville selects in the first-round help the team in 2020 and beyond. Jacksonville will obviously be looking for players who can make an instant impact, but for the sake of the team's future, they will need to hit on players who can contribute for many seasons past 2020.

To gauge the types of players Jacksonville can draft at these selections, we will look at the recent history of players taken in these draft slots. Of course, every draft class has different pools of talent and, in some cases, extremely talented players will fall to the ninth pick due to the depth of the draft class.

With this said, let's look at the last 10 players selected with the No. 9 pick and how valuable those players were to the teams who drafted them.

2010 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: RB C.J. Spiller (selected by Buffalo Bills)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 5.

Accolades: Voted to Pro Bowl in 2012.

Stats with Buffalo: 668 carries for 3,321 yards (5.0 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns. 158 catches for 1,195 yards and six touchdowns.

Spiller was an explosive weapon for some bad Bills teams, but overall his only season of real success came in 2012 when he rushed for 1,244 yards and six touchdowns and caught 43 passes for 459 yards and two touchdowns. This was the only year in his eight-year career he rushed for more than 933 yards or scored more than six touchdowns.

2011 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: OT Tyron Smith (selected by Dallas Cowboys)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 9 and counting.

Accolades: Voted to the Pro Bowl seven times. Two-time First-Team All-Pro member (2014 & 2016). Two-time Second-Team All-Pro member (2013 & 2015).

Stats with Cowboys: 131 games started between LT and RT.

Smith is a potential future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame thanks to a steady career in which he was frequently one of the two best left tackles in all of football (with Trent Williams). He was a home run pick by the Cowboys any way you look at it.

2012 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: LB Luke Kuechly (selected by Carolina Panthers)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 8 and counting.

Accolades: Voted to the Pro Bowl seven times. 2012 NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. 2013 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year. Five-time Forst-Team All-Pro member (2013-2015, 2017-2018).

Stats with Panthers: 1,092 tackles (75 for loss). Seven forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, 18 interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns. 12.5 sacks and 31 quarterback hits.

This one is a clear hit by the Panthers. Kuechly is arguably the best linebacker in football and has been at least in the conversation since the year he was drafted. Taking a perennial Pro Bowl and All-Pro player with the ninth pick is a coup.

2013 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: CB Dee Milliner (selected by New York Jets)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 3.

Accolades: No awards.

Stats with Jets: Three interceptions and 19 pass breakups in 21 career games with Jets.

Injuries and inconsistent play hampered Dee Milliner from turning into a player who validated the high investment the Jets made in him. Only lasting three years in the NFL, Milliner is one of the biggest busts from a bust-filled 2013 first round.

2014 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: OLB Anthony Barr (selected by Minnesota Vikings)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 6 and counting.

Accolades: Voted to the Pro Bowl four times.

Stats with Vikings: 417 tackles (36 for loss). Eight forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. One defensive touchdown. 15 sacks and 38 quarterback hits.

While not a superstar, Anthony Barr has been a big piece of some great Minnesota defenses. He played well enough in the first few years of his career to earn a five-year, $67.5 million contract with $33 million guaranteed from the team that drafted him.

2015 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: OT Ereck Flowers (selected by New York Giants)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 3 full seasons, two games in a 4th year.

Accolades: No awards.

Stats with Giants: Started 48 career cames and played in 51.

One of the most notable offensive line draft busts in recent years, Flowers had a bit of a rebound year as a guard with Washington in 2019. Noted as a high-risk pick as a prospect, Flowers just never put it together with the Giants.

2016 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: EDGE Leonard Floyd (selected by Chicago Bears)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 4 and counting.

Accolades: No awards.

Stats with Bears: 18.5 sacks, one forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 26 tackles for loss, 44 quarterback hits, and two defensive touchdowns.

After a seven-sack season in his rookie year, Leonard Floyd has failed to register more than 4.5 sacks in any of the next few seasons and has largely been a dissapointing pick despite the Bears' recent defensive success.

2017 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: WR John Ross (selected by Cincinnati Bengals)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 3 and counting.

Accolades: No awards.

Stats with Bengals: 49 catches for 716 yards and 10 touchdowns.

After playing in only three games in his rookie season, John Ross has turned into a field-stretcher who has the capability to make big plays but ultimately hasn't made a large impact on the Bengals' offense.

2018 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: OT Mike McGlinchey (selected by San Francisco 49ers)

Seasons with the team who drafted him: 2 and counting.

Accolades: No awards.

Stats with 49ers: Started 28 games at right tackle over two seasons, along with one playoff start.

McGlinchey hasn't been a spectacular offensive tackle, but he has certainly been above average. He likely won't ever be one of the top players at his position, but he is a good player who means a good bit to the San Francisco offensive.

2019 NFL Draft

No. 9 overall pick: DT Ed Oliver (selected by Buffalo Bills)

Seasons with team who drafted him: 1 and counting.

Accolades: No awards.

Stats with Bills: Five sacks, five tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits. Recorded one forced fumble.

A crucial piece to one of the NFL's best defenses in 2019, Ed Oliver was even better than his numbers showed in 2019. He is on track to validating that pick.