For lack of a better word, this has to be some kind of an, um, first. By acquiring Jalen Ramsey from Jacksonville Tuesday, the Los Angeles Rams’ roster features three players the Jaguars chose in consecutive years with top five picks in the NFL Draft. They already have Blake Bortles and Dante Fowler Jr. It also shows a run of top choices from 2008-16 that Jacksonville has made over the years and has nothing to show for it on the field.
Derrick Harvey
Derrick Harvey was selected eighth overall out of Florida in 2008. The DE had eight sacks in three seasons with Jacksonville. His career ended after five games with Denver in 2011.
Eugene Monroe
Eugene Monroe spent 4.25 seasons with the Jags. He was their first pick in 2009, chosen eighth overall out of Virginia. He was traded to the Ravens during the 2013 season. Monroe is better known for being a cannabis advocate than anything he did in the NFL. He is also the youngest of 16 children.
Tyson Alualu
Tyson Alualu spent seven seasons in Jacksonville after being drafted 10th overall out of Cal in 2010. He currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, having signed with them in 2017. He has 22.5 sacks in 147 games.
Blaine Gabbert
The Jaguars drafted Blaine Gabbert out of Missouri with the 10th overall pick in 2011. He spent three seasons with them, going 5-22 as a starter. Gabbert wandered throughout three other teams, last playing with Tennessee in 2018.
Justin Blackmon
Justin Blackmon came to Jacksonville from Oklahoma State with the fifth overall pick in 2012. Troubled would be an understatement for the wideout, who spent much of his time suspended for abuse issues. He had 64 catches as a rookie, 29 in his second season and nothing since. A sad case of a talented player taken down by his demons.
Luke Joeckel
Offensive tackle Luke Joeckel lasted four years in Jacksonville after being chosen second overall in 2013. The Texas A&M product only started all 16 games once, in 2014. He finished his NFL career in 2017, playing 11 games with Seattle.
Blake Bortles
Blake Bortles came to Jacksonville from Central Florida. He was expected to be a franchise QB after being chosen third overall in 2014. Bortles was a disappointment, going 24-49 as a starter. With the arrival of Nick Foles via free agency, Bortles was expendable. He is currently the backup to Jared Goff on the Rams.
Dante Fowler Jr.
Dante Fowler Jr. was the third overall pick in 2015 out of Florida. He had 14 sacks in 39 games with the Jags before being dealt to the Rams in the 2018 season.
Jalen Ramsey
The turbulent time in Jacksonville ended Tuesday when Jalen Ramsey was dealt to the Rams for a trio of draft picks. The DB was the fifth overall pick in 2016 out of Florida State.
