The Jacksonville Jaguars were once a proud defense-oriented team, but have fallen on hard times over the last few years. Their coach Jack Del Rio almost picked up stakes and headed out West to coach USC, until his owner convinced him to stay. Now Del Rio has been working on molding his team's defense back to it's former glory.
Jacksonville's NFL Draft was One to Forget but Del Rio Can Work with Them
Jacksonville may have had one of the five worst NFL Drafts on paper but with a defensive coach as solid as Del Rio, the young players drafted will learn fast. Jacksonville's first draft choice and 10th overall, Tyson Alualu, a defensive end out of California, was chosen too early but he will have an immediate impact improving on the non existent Jacksonville pass rush.
Jacksonville only had six draft picks but they did acquire a solid veteran linebacker from the Oakland Raiders in a draft day deal. Kirk Morrison will help bring leadership and add some aggressive play in the middle of the field. To see the entire Jacksonville NFL Draft, click here.
Maurice Jones-Drew Could Have More in His Tank for the 2010 NFL Season
Maurice Jones-Drew had his best NFL season in 2009, rushing for 1391 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns. Jones-Drew came into his own as the primary back for Jacksonville after sharing carries for the last few years with Fred Taylor.
As the go-to running back, Jones-Drew did not disappoint his coach Del Rio and will most likely be featured more coming out of the backfield. Jones-Drew caught 52 passes for 374 yards in 2009 which was actually down over years past.
David Garrard Has Improved Steadily as an NFL QB
David Garrard has developed over the period of several years to get where he is in the NFL. Garrard is still not recognized as a top ten quarterback but that works just fine for his coach Jack Del Rio. With Maurice Jones Drew in the backfield and an improving aggressive defense, Garrard has a basic job at quarterback that will win Jacksonville more than a few games. He has to be steady, make no mistakes and get the ball to Maurice Jones-Drew. Simple offense and outstanding defense wins games in the NFL and Jacksonville is on the right track.
Final Breakdown of Jacksonville Jaguars 2010 NFL Season
Jack Del Rio is reinvigorated since making the decision to stay on with Jacksonville. His new NFL Draft projects, intermingled with some key defensive veterans, like Kirk Morrison, could help Del Rio make an immediate impact for the 2010 NFL season.
If Del Rio can get his offense to control the clock and his defense to keep the scores within reach, Jacksonville can definitely win more games than expected in the 2010 NFL season. A great season for Jacksonville will be an 8-8 record.
Todd Jacobs - Todd Jacobs is a freelance writer with publishing credits including USA Today, Orange County Register and Speed TV.
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