CHICAGO – The Jaguars considered taking UCLA's Myles Jack with their No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft. They ended up getting him anyway -- a day later.
The Jaguars traded up with the Ravens on Friday to pick fifth in the second round of the draft and selected Jack, a speedy player with huge upside who is recovering from a serious knee injury.
If Jack returns to form, the Jaguars could have the steal of the draft. He had been projected to go early in the first round.
"I definitely wanted to go to the Jaguars; it’s just the ideal place that I really wanted to go," Jack said by phone Friday night. "I’m 100 percent healthy; I’m cleared. The knee shouldn’t be a concern anymore. I definitely proved that with my play, but there’s nothing else to talk about. I’m ready to play ball.”
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The Jaguars took Maryland's Yannick Ngakoue, a 6-2, 252-pound defensive end, with the sixth pick of the third round (No. 69 overall).
"Nobody has a crystal ball to the draft. Whatever pick I was going to get picked, I was going to embrace it and just be thankful, and I’m excited," Ngakoue said. “I had a strong feeling that they were going to take me. I just left it all on the field at the workout and showed that I’m in shape, I can move and am lean and my explosion. I’m thankful for the whole organization to believe in me and pick me.”
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Pride of the Jaguars inductee Fred Taylor announced the Jaguars' selection of Jack at the podium in Chicago, and retired running back Maurice Jones-Drew announced the third-round pick.
In trading up for Jack, the Jaguars gave up their seventh pick in the second round (No. 38 overall) and a fifth-round pick (No. 146 overall) for pick No. 36.
Jack tore the meniscus in his right knee on Sept. 23 and missed the remainder of the season. He left school in early October to rehab in Phoenix.
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Jack said earlier this week that he could possibly need micro-fracture surgery down the road. The Jaguars examined his knee and worked him out a few weeks before the draft, and clearly didn't have enough concerns to pass on him.
"When I heard that Jacksonville wanted to work me out, I woke up that morning and I was ready to rock," Jack said. "I did some things I didn’t think I could do. It was one of my best workouts, and I knew from that moment when I left that workout that I left Jacksonville with a great feeling. I knew if I was there in the second round, I knew there was no way they (Jaguars) could pass on me, because I put on a show. My former linebacker coach was there from UCLA and he said even he was surprised at how good I looked.”
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Friday that Dr. James Andrews, who examined Jack in December, told Jack on Friday that he does not need micro-fracture surgery.
"We've reached a point as an organization where we feel it's time to take some risks and not be conservative," General Manager Dave Caldwell said. "There's risk with any player, and we feel he's the right pick."
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Jack, a 6-1, 245-pound outside linebacker, has the ability to play multiple positions. At UCLA, he played everywhere from linebacker to safety and even covered receivers in the slot. Combined with Telvin Smith, the two could be arguably the most athletic line-backing unit in the NFL.
“He just gives us great versatility,” Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said. “You're always looking at having speed on the field.”
Jack started in 28 games in three years with the Bruins. In 2015, he played in three games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. In 2014, he was a starter in all 13 games at linebacker and was named second-team all-conference after finishing second on the team with 88 tackles, 8.0 for loss.
As a freshman in 2013, Jack saw action in all 13 games with 12 starts, 11 at linebacker and one at running back. He earned both offensive and defensive freshman of the year honors in the Pac-12 by the coaches after he scored seven rushing touchdowns and finished fifth on the team with 75 tackles.
"I definitely believe that I’m a steal, ending up in the second round. A lot of people had me projected first. I believed I was more first, but that wasn’t God’s plan," Jack said. "I ended up going second to an organization that I wanted to go to in the first place, so I think everything happens for a reason, and as far as being the steal of the draft, I’m past that. The draft is what it is, and I’m ready to play ball."
The Scottsdale, Arizona, native is the Jaguars' third draft selection from UCLA, joining RB Maurice Jones-Drew (28th overall) and TE Mercedes Lewis (60th overall), both in 2006.
Along with first-round selection Jalen Ramsey of FSU and the return of last year's first-round pick, Dante Fowler -- who missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury -- Bradley said Jack gives the Jaguars three first-round talents playing for the first time on defense this season.
"We’ve got to take these chances to get better and to get this caliber of player to join our other good players that we have in our locker room," Bradley said.
Ngakoue, a Washington, D.C., native set a Maryland record and finished tied for second in the country with 13.5 sacks in his junior season. He also had 15 total tackles for loss. He finished his three-year career with 83 tackles, 33 for loss and 21.5 sacks.
“I bring intensity. I bring speed, and I just bring a lot of versatility. I’m a team player, and I know Day 1, I can come in and get to the quarterback," Ngakoue said.
Ngakoue is the second draft pick selected by the Jaguars from Maryland, and the first since punter Adam Podlesh (101st overall) in 2007.
For the first time since 2010, the Jaguars have used their first three picks in a draft on defensive players with the selections of Ramsey, Jack and Ngakoue.
“It’s been a great two days," Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash said. "The process and how it all worked, we sat down this morning and said we’d like to come out with a couple of different guys, and it worked out exactly the way we planned. It’s been a great two days for us.”
Ramsey, the Florida State defensive back the Jaguars drafted Thursday night with the No. 5 pick in the first round, arrived in Jacksonville Friday for his introductory news conference.
The 6-1, 209-pound FSU junior said he is happy to join the team.
“Out of all my visits -- and I'm not just saying this -- I felt the most comfortable here," Ramsey said. “I'm so excited to be a Jacksonville Jaguar now, because I really felt the vibe here.”
Alabama Heisman Trophy winner and Yulee native Derrick Henry will face the Jaguars twice a year after he was taken in the second round by division rival Tennessee. Henry was chosen 14th in the second round (No. 45 overall).
Tampa Bay turned heads late in the second round when it traded up with the Kansas City Chiefs to take Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo with the 59th overall pick.
The Buccaneers gave up a third-round pick (No. 74) and a fourth-round pick (No. 106) to take Aguayo, the nation's top college kicker and a three-time All-American.
Florida defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard went No. 72 overall (third round) to the Chicago Bears, and Georgia Bulldogs outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins was taken No. 83 overall by the New York Jets.
Rounds 4-7 will be Saturday, beginning at noon.
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