CB Tyson Campbell on joining the Jaguars as the No. 33 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, the first selection of Round 3: “It’s a surreal feeling…”
David Zalubowski/Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Southern California defensive lineman Jay Tufele (78) in the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, in Boulder, Colo. Southern California won 35-31. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
JACKSONVILLE – Saturday couldn t have meant more to Jay Tufele. Today is the most special day of my life, he said.
That s a common feeling during any NFL Draft weekend, but Tufele had ample and emotional reasons for feeling that way after the Jaguars selected him to start Day 3 of the 21 draft.
Tufele, a defensive tackle from the University of Southern California, opted out of playing during the 2020 season. He did so to prepare for the draft, but more than that, he did so because of the effects of COVID-19 on his family.
Richard Shiro FILE - At left, in a Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, file photo, Clemson s Travis Etienne runs out of the backfield to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Florida State, in Clemson, S.C. At right, in a Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, file photo, Clemson s Trevor Lawrence rushes on a quarterback keeper during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Boston College, in Clemson, S.C. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and tailback Travis Etienne love competing on the same side with the top-ranked Tigers. If they keep playing as they have, they may be competing against each other for college football s biggest individual prize, the Heisman Trophy. (AP Photo/Richsard Shiro, File)
JACKSONVILLE – Hey! Guess what!?
The O-Zone submission form on the app continues to not work! We continue to ask that you submit questions through the form on the website or via Joehser@gmail.com! OK, then!
Let s get to it …
Alon from Malibu, CA
I hope you can give an honest answer. Do you think the Jaguars tanked on purpose last year? I think, for example, keeping Minshew on the bench was an obvious sign. Well, it worked and will change the franchise future with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback.
I indeed
will give an honest answer, a dramatic departure from my preferred approach of blatantly lying and misleading. That honest answer is this: The Jaguars absolutely didn t tank on purpose during the 2020 season. And they didn t keep quarterback Gardner Minshew II on the bench to intentionally lose; they kept him there because they believed he hadn t played well enough – even when healthy – to merit playing him. Remember: Then-Head Coach Doug Marrone and General Manager Dav
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser s four takeaways from Wednesday s media availability, with Jaguars Head Coach Urban Meyer and General Manager Trent Baalke discussing next week s 2021 NFL Draft:
1.Value will dictate decisions. Meyer and Baalke each made this clear Wednesday, with Meyer admitting that focusing on value over need won t be easy in his first draft. As a coach, I find myself always looking at need, said Meyer, in his first NFL season after 17 seasons as one of the most-successful coaches in college football history. That s where you have to be cautious. You start chasing players. Baalke, the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2016, called trusting the draft board and drafting value critical. When you don t trust it, that s when you make mistakes, he said, adding that focusing on need causes evaluators to overvalue players. If you do that consistently, he said, you re not going to be i