Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been searching for a franchise quarterback since they parted ways with Mark Brunell following the 2003 season.
They believed they were getting that guy two years ago when they moved up to select Blaine Gabbert, but the fact is that he has done little to inspire any sort of confidence in his ability to evolve into a long-term solution at the quarterback position. Now, the Jaguars find themselves in a position to take another shot at drafting a potential franchise quarterback and I believe they will take that chance.
While there have been mixed reviews on Geno Smith, he has almost unanimously been regarded as the top quarterback prospect available in the 2013 NFL Draft. At 6’3”, 220 pounds, Smith not only possesses the ideal size of a quarterback prospect, but he has the arm strength and mobility that are necessary to be an effective passer at the next level. While Smith has the athleticism to use his legs as a weapon, he displayed in college that he is a pocket passer first and only used his legs as a last resort to escape pressure.
The biggest knocks on Smith are that he played in a pass happy offense in college in which he took a majority of his snaps out of the shotgun. Smith also has issues with his technique and footwork that have led to some inconsistent accuracy throughout his college career. The big thing about Smith though is that all of his flaws can be fixed with proper coaching and practice.
By almost all accounts, Smith is a gym rat who is dedicated to becoming the best quarterback he can possibly be. That dedication is essential to being a successful quarterback in the NFL and is one of the reasons why I think Smith will have a successful pro career.
