The Jacksonville Jaguars' Best Second-Day Draft Picks in Franchise History

Daniel Shanks by Analyst Written on July 02, 2009

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 18:  David Garrard #9 of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrates a touchdown during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on December 18, 2008 in Jacksonville, Florida.  (Photo by Sam Greenwood/G
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Entering the 15th year of the franchise's existence, the Jacksonville Jaguars haven't always been very lucky when it comes to first-round draft picks.
R. Jay Soward, Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Byron Leftwich, etc.

All these guys were taken in the first round. None of them lived up to the expectations, and none of them are with the team anymore.

The thing that has been Jacksonville's saving grace is the ability to get quality players in the later rounds.

With that in mind, I have selected the best second-day draft picks in Jacksonville's short history.

For the sake of this slide show, we're going old school. So when I refer to the best second-day draft picks, I mean anyone who was taken in the fourth round or later.

No. 5: Ernest Wilford

HOUSTON - DECEMBER 30:  Wide receiver Ernest Wilford #19 of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrates a touchdown catch against the Houston Texans in the second quarter on December 30, 2007 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.  (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Image

Draft status: Fourth-round pick (120th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
Career stats: 144 receptions, 2,019 yards, 14 touchdowns

During his four-year stint in Jacksonville, Wilford's best season came in 2005, when he caught 41 passes for 681 yards and seven touchdowns, and seemed poised for a breakout season.

But he failed to meet or exceed the numbers he set for himself over the next two seasons, and the Jaguars let Wilford go after the 2007 season.

He found a home in Miami, which seemed to be a good fit considering that the Dolphins didn't have much of a receiving corps. Despite that, Wilford only appeared in seven games and caught just three passes.

No. 4: Seth Payne

17 Sep 2000:  Seth Payne #91 of the Cincinnati Bengals is ready on the field during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.  The Jaguars defeated the Bengals 13-0.Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran  /Allspor

Draft status: Fourth-round pick (114th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft.
Career stats: 249 tackles, 17.5 sacks (tackle stats were unavailable before 2001).

Payne spent 10 years in the NFL, the first five coming with the Jaguars. He played rather sparingly until 1999, when he started all 16 games for Jacksonville.

In his final three seasons with the team, he played all 48 games and started 46. His best year with the Jags came in 2001, when he recorded 55 tackles and five sacks. Not bad for a defensive tackle.

After that, he went to Houston and played for five more years before his retirement in 2006.

No. 3: Josh Scobee

JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 18:  Josh Scobee #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars watches the action during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on December 18, 2008 in Jacksonville, Florida.  (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty

Draft status: Fifth-round pick (137th overall) in the 2004 NFL Draft
Career stats: Has made 79.4 percent of his field goal attempts, 471 total points

During his time in the NFL, Scobee has made a name for himself as one of the most reliable kickers in the league.

His last two seasons, however, have been somewhat disappointing. He only played eight games in 2007 due to injury, and only converted 76 percent of his attempts in 2008.

If he can return to his 2006 form (26-of-32 field goals, 119 points), there should be a Pro Bowl in his immediate future.

No. 2: Bobby McCray

San Francisco 49ers  fullback Terry Jackson (22) greets Jacksonville Jaguars Mike Peterson (54) and defensive  end Bobby McCray (93)  December 18, 2005 in Jacksonville.   The three players are University of Florida graduates.   The Jaguars defeated the 49

Draft status: Seventh-round draft pick (249th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
Career stats: 123 tackles, 28 sacks, eight forced fumbles

No one expected much from McCray, a defensive end out of Florida. But he started to show signs of his pass rushing ability during his second season, when he recorded 5.5 sacks.

The next year was McCray's breakout season. He recorded career highs in tackles (35) and sacks (10).

The brash young kid from Miami thought that his solid season would fetch him a fat contract, but Jacksonville's front office didn't bite.

His production dipped significantly in 2007, when he only recorded 18 tackles and three sacks. The Jaguars let him walk after that season, and he landed in New Orleans, where he had six sacks in 2008.

If he would grow up a little bit and develop a stronger work ethic, McCray could be an elite pass rusher in the NFL.

No. 1: David Garrard

JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 18:  David Garrard #9 of the Jacksonville Jaguars breaks the tackle of Clint Session #55 of the Indinapolis Colts during the game at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on December 18, 2008 in Jacksonville, Florida.  (Photo by Sam G

Draft status: Fourth-round pick (108th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft
Career stats: 61.2 completion percentage, 9,672 yards, 51 TDs, 29 INTs

In the early part of his career, Garrard seemed destined to be nothing more than a preseason superstar.

He would always shine against the second team in meaningless preseason games, but wasn't able to carry that success over to the regular season.

Garrard finally got his opportunity in 2006, when Byron Leftwich went down with an injury. The ECU alumnus made the most of his opportunity, completing 60.2 percent of his passes for 1,735 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The next year, Jacksonville stunned everyone by releasing Leftwich right before the season and making Garrard the full-time starter.

While many members of the media questioned the move, Garrard silenced the doubters (at least temporarily) by throwing for 18 touchdowns and three interceptions and led the team back to the playoffs.

He is also responsible for one of the biggest plays in franchise history. Trailing Pittsburgh 29-28 late in the fourth quarter of a 2007 wild card playoff game, Garrard scrambled for 32 yards on a fourth-and-2 and set up a 25-yard field goal by Scobee that gave Jacksonville the 31-29 win.

Honorable mentions: Gerald Sensabaugh, George Wrighster, Rob Johnson

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written on July 02, 2009 Rankings/List

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