Grading players for the NFL draft is a very subjective process, although with intense scrutiny over a period of several months, and probably tens of thousands of viewpoints published, a concensus of sorts emerges. The draft itself loosely follows that concensus, but the likelyhood of any single prognosticator coming up with the right selections in the right order probably does not last to the tenth pick of the first round. In 2011, Cam Newton was the first overall pick despite being generally considered the second best player at his position in the draft. Most high profile media scouting agencies and draft analysts, along with a majority of NFL scouts polled, felt Blaine Gabbert was the best quarterback available, and about the tenth best prospect overall.
As it turns out, Gabbert was taken with the tenth overall pick, by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who traded up six positions to acquire his rights. But he was the third quarterback taken in the draft, behind Newton and Jake Locker taken with the eighth overall pick. Gabbert's good friend Christian Ponder went just two slots later at number twelve overall. The talk was that Gabbert "slid" in the draft, but in fact it was more a case of other quarterbacks being taken much higher than they were rated on the big board. Blaine certainly wanted to go as high as possible in the draft, but the mild "slide" may prove beneficial to his career in the long run.
Being selected at the tenth overall spot offers a good blend of anonymity and reduced expectations along with a very healthy entry level contract. Gabbert's new teammate with the Jaguars, Tyson Alualu, was selected in the same spot a year earlier and signed a contract worth around $28 million, with $17.5 million guaranteed. A new rookie wage scale figures to push that number down somewhat, but quarterbacks generally get a position bonus added to their contract, so Blaine should be compensated somewhere in the same vicinity. More than enough money for anyone's lifetime with reasonable spending habits.
By dropping somewhat, and having the Jags move up from their original draft position, Gabbert landed on a team who finished the previous season with an 8-8 record, and one of the better offensive performances in the league. There is a stable coaching staff in place, with Jack Del Rio among the league's senior coachs in terms of service despite his relative youth. Offensive co-ordinator Dirk Koetter has been at the job for 5 years, and is highly respected for the work he does. The general manager position was created specifically for incumbent Gene Smith, who worked for the team in various front office capacities since it's inception sixteen years ago. Owner Wayne Weaver is a class act, has had the team since it's birth, and is dedicated to keeping it in the city.
On the field, Gabbert joins an offense led by veteran signal caller David Garrard, a hard working 10 year vet, who has been the starter for the past five seasons. Garrard is in his prime at 33 years of age, and has ranked among the top ten quarterbacks in the league for overall performance since he became a starter. He is a soft spoken, likeable leader of strong integrity. Garrard is supported by one of the league's top running backs in Maurice Jones-Drew, an inspirational overacheiver who is in his prime at 26. The other current star of the offense is also a 26 year old west coaster, Marcedes Lewis, the strapping 270 pound tight end. Lewis is a solid receiver, a strong blocker, and a respected leader. Two young offensive tackles taken in the first two rounds of the 2009 draft, Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, provide bookend protection on the offensive line.
