Incumbent starter Blaine Gabbert is entering his second season in the NFL after struggling mightily in his rookie year. Those struggles have raised questions as to whether or not he will ever evolve into the franchise quarterback the Jaguars envisioned he would become when they traded up to draft him.

New Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey seems more confident than most about Gabbert’s future prospects.

According to Mularkey, Gabbert is the Jaguars starting quarterback and there will not be a training camp competition between him and back-up Chad Henne.

Mularkey has had success in the past developing young quarterbacks, most notably the work he did the past couple of seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and their quarterback Matt Ryan. He is confident that he can do the same for Gabbert that he did for Ryan.

Gabbert should benefit from some coaching this offseason. The NFL was in the midst of a lockout when Gabbert was drafted last year and he missed out on most of the typical offseason workouts that help rookies make the transition from college to the pros. If you believe Mularkey, Gabbert is taking full advantage of the coaching he is receiving from his new coaching staff this offseason.

“I’ve seen improvement over the short time I’ve been with him, and (in the spring) you get coaching and teaching in a less stressful environment,” Mularkey said.

Gabbert is the most important piece to the Jaguars puzzle in 2012. With a top-5 defense and rushing offense already in place, the Jaguars could have one of the most drastic turnarounds in 2012 if Gabbert can improve his game.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who led the NFL with 1,606 rushing yards last season, will not show up for the team’s latest round of voluntary workouts.

There are rumors that Jones-Drew is unhappy with his current contract. He is scheduled to make $4.45 million next season, but his contract has been surpassed in recent years by other running backs who have not produced as consistently as he has. There is still two years remaining on Jones-Drew’s current contract.

Even though it is a concern that not all players will be participating in the voluntary offseason program, Jones-Drew’s absence should not be much of a concern to the Jaguars new coaching staff. There were no offseason workout’s for the Jaguars during the lockout last year, but most feel that Jones-Drew reported to training camp in the best shape of his career.

Jones-Drew has given no indication that his contract situation will prevent him from missing any mandatory team practices when they begin in June.

The Jaguars will also be without kicker Josh Scobee when practice opens Tuesday.

Scobee, who had the franchise tag placed on him by the team back in February, has yet to sign his franchise tender or reach a new long-term deal. Since Scobee is not currently under contract, he is not able to participate in any sort of workout or practice.

Since Scobee is the only kicker on the Jaguars roster, the team signed former Seattle Seahawks kicker Brandon Coutu on Monday so they had a kicker at practice this week.

The minimum amount of time necessary for judging how a team did with a particular draft class is three full seasons. The Jacksonville Jaguars 2009 draft class has now been around for three seasons and it is time to put a grade on Jaguars general manager Gene Smith‘s first draft effort.

1st Round (8th Overall)- OT Eugene Monroe

The Jaguars started their rebuilding process in 2009 with a franchise left tackle. While Monroe struggled at times in his first two seasons, the light came on in his third year and he has evolved into a strong left tackle. He has started 42 games for the Jaguars at left tackle and figures to be the anchor of their offensive line for at least another 10 seasons.

Grade: B+

2nd Round (39th Overall)- OT Eben Britton

The Jaguars drafted Britton to play opposite Eugene Monroe at right tackle, but injuries have kept him on the sidelines for most of his career. It is hard to call Britton a bust yet, but 2012 is his last chance to show the Jaguars front office that he is capable of staying healthy.

Grade: C-

3rd Round (72nd Overall)- DT Terrance Knighton

Knighton has been the anchor of the Jaguars defensive line since he was drafted starting all but three games in his young career. While Knighton’s impact usually does not show up on the stat sheet, his presence has made life easier for the linebackers who play behind him. Needs to learn how to control his weight if he wants to have a long career, but for now he is one of the most underrated defensive tackles in the league.

Grade: A

3rd Round (73rd Overall)- CB Derek Cox

When healthy Cox is the best corner on the Jaguars roster, the problem is he has had health problems over the past two seasons. Last season he showed the ability to be a shut-down corner before going down with a knee injury.

Grade: B

4th Round (107th Overall)- WR Mike Thomas

Thomas was one of the best young slot receivers in the league, but struggled in 2011 as he was thrust more into a primary receiver role. With the addition of Laurent Robinson and Justin Blackmon, Thomas will be able to move back into the slot where he is the most effective and should be able to get back to his 2010 production.

Grade: B

5th Round (144th Overall)- WR Jarett Dillard

Dillard was recently cut by the Jaguars after he struggled to make much of an impact over his three seasons in Jacksonville. Dillard always flashed in training camp without the pads on, but his talent never carried over to the actual games.

Grade: C-

6th Round (180th Overall)- TE Zach Miller

Miller is an unbelievable athlete who is a dangerous weapon for the Jaguars offense when he is healthy, but he hasn’t been healthy often. With his size and speed combination, he is capable of being a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses. If he stays healthy in 2012 he could finally have his break out season.

Grade: B

7th Round (250th Overall)- RB Rashad Jennings

The Jaguars offense missed Jennings tremendously last season. After averaging 5.5 yards per carry in 2010, he was poised to have a breakout season as the Jaguars change of pace back in 2o11 before going down with a knee injury in the preseason. Jennings could be a starter on other NFL teams, but he is a more than adequate back-up for Maurice Jones-Drew.

Grade: A

7th Round (253 Overall)- WR Tiquan Underwood

Underwood was released by the Jaguars before the 2011 season. He had the speed to be an effective NFL receiver, but Jaguars fans will always remember him for his tremendous ability to drop passes that hit him right in the hands.

Grade: C-

Seven of the nine players the Jaguars took in this draft are still with the team. Four of those players have become solid every down contributors and two have been effective playmakers in limited roles on the offense. While the Jaguars have not had any All-Pro performances from this draft class, they made a solid effort in finding core players that have helped take this team in the right direction.

Overall 2009 Draft Grade: B+

Blackmon was held out of the final day of practice of the Jaguars three day rookie minicamp this weekend with soreness in his right foot.

Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey said the move was only precautionary and that he would be ready to go when the entire team opens their organized team activities on May 15.

“He was just sore and we just felt like, ‘Was it worth the risk? Why push it any more?’’’ Mularkey said.

The Jaguars were right to hold Blackmon out of practice, because foot problems can linger if they are not treated properly. In the grand scheme of things, having a 100% healthy Blackmon in September will benefit the Jaguars much more than having him on the field for a relatively meaningless practice in early May. The practices this weekend were meant more for the guys trying to earn a roster spot for the upcoming training camp, not for a guy like Blackmon who already has his spot on the roster.

Blackmon, who the Jaguars moved up two spots in last months NFL Draft to select, is expected to become a much needed playmaker for an offense that finished dead last in the NFL in passing offense last season.

Mularkey was impressed with group of 50 players that participated in the minicamp this past weekend. The Jaguars signed seven guys who participated in the camp.

Included in the seven players that the Jaguars signed on Monday was former Cincinnati Bengals back-up quarterback Jordan Palmer.

The Jaguars also signed fullback Naufahu Tahi, defensive tackle Odrick Ray, wide receiver Mike Brown, wide receiver Chris Forcier, linebacker Donovan Richard and defensive back Jeremiah Brown.

Last year the Jaguars failed to re-sign punter Adam Podlesh as he left for a more lucrative deal with the Chicago Bears, which ultimately led to the Jaguars using a third-round pick on punter Bryan Anger in last month’s NFL Draft. This offseason the Jaguars are trying to get their kicker Josh Scobee locked up for the long term.

According to Tania Ganguli of The Florida Times-Union, the Jaguars and Scobee are no closer to getting a long-term contract done.

The Jaguars used their franchise tag on Scobee back in March after they failed to get a new deal done before the start of free agency. Scobee has yet to sign his franchise tender in hopes that a long-term contract can be reached before the start of the 2012 season.

Without a kicker currently on the roster, the Jaguars have brought in the latest internet sensation Long Ding. Ding, a kicker from China, has been with the Jaguars this week during their rookie camp and has drawn a lot of attention from the media.

While Ding has no chance to supplant Scobee as the Jaguars kicker, the team needs a kicker on the active roster to get through camp this summer. That kicker could be Ding.

While both sides have a desire to get a deal done, Scobee’s agent Ken Harris told Ganguli that there have not been any negotiations between the two sides recently.

Scobee is coming off one of his best seasons of his eight year career with the Jaguars. He made 23 of his 25 field goal attempts last season, including six made field goals of over 50 yards.

Coleman signed with the Jaguars during free agency last offseason to a three-year contract worth $7.4 million. His release will save the team $1.75 million this season.

The move is somewhat of a surprise as Coleman played in all 16 of the Jaguars during the 2011 season in which he played nickle back. Not only was Coleman healthy, but he played exceptionally well for most of the season. Coleman racked up 46 tackles with two sacks and two interceptions last year as he played more than half of the Jaguars total defensive snaps.

Coleman’s release is a sign that the Jaguars are comfortable with the recovery of cornerback Rashean Mathis from a torn ACL. Coleman may also have been expendable with the signing of veteran defensive back Aaron Ross and the drafting of cornerback Mike Harris in the sixth round of last week’s NFL Draft.

Coleman’s lack of versatility may have also played a role in his departure from the Jaguars. The only role Coleman played last season was nickle back, he did not contribute on special teams and was not able to move outside last year when the Jaguars secondary was decimated by injuries. The Jaguars have some younger options at the position like William Middleton and the newly drafted Harris who will also be able to contribute on special teams and have a more versatile skill set than Coleman.

The Jaguars will likely replace Coleman in the nickle back position with Mathis or Ross next season.

It is not too early, however, to take a look at what kind of impact each draft pick will have in their rookie season as the Jaguars look to improve on their 5-11 record from 2011.

Justin Blackmon, WR

The Jaguars had the worst passing offense in the NFL in 2011, so getting the best wide receiver available in this year’s draft makes a lot of sense. Blackmon will immediately step into a starting role opposite of free agent signing Laurent Robinson and will provide quarterback Blaine Gabbert with the physical possession type receiver he desperately needed.

Blackmon lacks game-breaking speed, but makes up for his lack of speed with excellent route running and great hands. He will be counted on to have a major impact in 2012 if the Jaguars passing offense is going to improve.

Andre Branch, DE

The Jaguars have spent years looking for an elite edge pass rusher and they hope they have found one in Branch. Branch should immediately step in and start opposite of Jeremy Mincey at defensive end and get after the opposing quarterback.

Branch’s strength is his quickness and his quick first step should give NFL offensive lineman trouble. His speed also allows him to be excellent in pursuit when it comes to stopping the run.

Bryan Anger, P

In order to justify this pick, Anger needs to have a massive and immediate impact on the Jaguars special teams in 2012. Without one practice Anger has already locked up the Jaguars starting punter job and will be counted on to help the Jags win the field position battle next season.

Anger has a deadly combination of power and accuracy with his kicks that allows him to flip field position or pin opponents deep in their own territory. If he can do both consistently, he will have a major impact on the Jaguars next season.

Brandon Marshall, OLB

Marshall projects as a reserve linebacker who can fill in at either the strong or weak side linebacker position, however his immediate impact will likely be on special teams.

Mike Harris, CB

Harris projects as a nickle corner in the NFL. He should provide some quality depth at a position that the Jaguars had decimated by injuries last season. He is an extremely physical player who is excellent against the run and should also have an impact on special teams next season.

Jeris Pendleton, DT

Pendleton is another big bodied defensive tackle that could fit into the Jaguars defensive line rotation. He was an extremely productive player at Division II Ashland. Fell to the seventh round due to the fact that he is coming into the league as a 28-year-old. He will have to earn a roster spot with an impressive camp.

The four teams of the AFC South all had clear needs entering the draft, but which team did the best job and the worst job at addressing those needs?

Here is a look at the winner and loser from the past weekend’s NFL Draft from the AFC South.

AFC South Winner: Indianapolis Colts

This was a no-brainer.

The Colts used the top pick in the draft on quarterback Andrew Luck, who some scouts consider the best prospect to be drafted over the past 10 years. While the Colts are in a full rebuilding mode going into the 2012 season, they did an excellent job giving Luck a bunch of young weapons that he can grow with as the Colts look to return to division dominance.

The Colts struck gold again when Luck’s favorite college target, tight end Coby Fleener, fell to them at the top of the second round. Fleener will provide Luck with a sense of comfort as he makes his transition to the NFL.

They also got two late round wide receivers in T.Y. Hilton and LaVon Brazill who have the potential to develop into more effective weapons for Luck.

The only knock on the Colts is that they did not address all of the needs they had on the defensive side of the ball, but they had only so many picks to work with.

The Colts certainly won’t be playoff contenders next season, but they started off the Andrew Luck era with a bang.

AFC South Loser: Jacksonville Jaguars

This was tougher to decide as any of the other three teams in the AFC South could have filled this spot.

The Jaguars take the prize though with some of their extremely questionable late round decisions.

After addressing their two biggest needs in the first two round with wide receiver Justin Blackmon and defensive end Andre Branch, the Jaguars made perhaps the worst decision any team made this past weekend.

By far the biggest shock of this year’s draft was when the Jaguars took punter Bryan Anger in the third-round. There is absolutely no excuse for a team with as many needs as the Jaguars have to take a punter with such a high selection. Taking a punter at any point in the draft is a luxury pick, and the Jags roster is not good enough to be using luxury picks.

Even later in the draft the Jaguars again reached on linebacker Brandon Marshall and made another questionable selection in the seventh round with defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton.

The Jaguars also failed to fill perhaps their third biggest need entering the draft by neglecting to select an offensive tackle. The team may be confident in Eben Britton‘s health, but they needed to pick up somebody to compete with Guy Whimper for the reserve tackle spot in the case that Britton gets injured for the third consecutive season.

After trading up last season to select quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the Jaguars jumped up two spots to select Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon in a very active first night of the NFL Draft.

It just goes to show how unpredictable the draft actually is. For weeks leading up to the draft, all of the news coming out of Jacksonville suggested that they were desperately seeking to trade down to accumulate more draft picks. In the end, they ended up going in the other direction.

In Blackmon, the Jaguars got the best wide receiver available in this year’s draft. He was extremely productive in his time at Oklahoma State, catching 38 touchdown passes over the last two seasons in a passing happy offense. He will immediately move to the top of the Jaguars depth chart at the wide receiver position.

Blackmon will give the Jaguars a reliable target on the outside that should pair well with the more explosive Laurent Robinson and help make the Jaguars passing attack a bit more dangerous than it was last season.

He does not possess the elite speed that will allow him to be an effective deep threat in the NFL, but he does possess the physicality necessary to catch most passes thrown his way. He also has great leaping ability despite only being 6’1″ and will give the Jaguars a reliable red zone target. He is also an excellent route runner with sure hands and great body control which allowed him to make some acrobatic catches in college.

While Blackmon may not have tremendous upside in terms of becoming an elite NFL wide receiver, he has almost no bust potential. Everybody expects him to have an extremely productive pro career, and that is good news for a Jaguars team that had the worst passing offense in the NFL last season.

The Jaguars only had to surrender a fourth round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move up from the seventh to the fifth pick. A relatively low price to ensure you are getting the player you want.

The Jags now have two picks on Friday night with several talented players still available.

The amount of misinformation that gets reported the week leading up to the draft is staggering as teams try to maximize the possibility of getting what they want when they are on the clock Thursday night.

There have been several rumors over the past couple of days about the Jacksonville Jaguars and the seventh pick. I would be surprised if any of it is true because since Gene Smith has become the general manager of the Jaguars, they have been especially good at keeping their true draft intentions a well guarded secret until the commissioner has announced their pick.

Two years ago, nobody had the Jaguars drafting defensive tackle Tyson Alualu. Last year almost every draft expert had mocked defensive end Ryan Kerrigan to the Jaguars, but they traded up six picks and drafted quarterback Blaine Gabbert. In the week leading up to those drafts, nobody saw those moves coming.

So, I find it hard to believe a report from Sports Illustrated’s Peter King this morning that the Jaguars are receiving no interest from teams looking to trade up to the seventh pick. While I don’t doubt that somebody told King that the Jaguars have no chance of trading down on Thursday, the information smells of somebody trying to diminish the value of trading with the Jaguars in hopes of getting the pick for a lower price.

I still think the Jaguars will be able to trade down on Thursday, but for all we know they could be absolutely in love with a prospect and sold on taking them with the seventh pick.

So take everything you read this week with a grain of salt Jaguars fans, chances are it isn’t true.