2012 NFL Draft: Why Jacksonville Jaguars Must Draft Michael Floyd

The Jaguars may or may not want Michael Floyd. Whether he is on their radar or not is irrelevant at this point. That's because they need the star wide receiver from Notre Dame. 

Last year, the team invested a high first-round pick in quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Last year, he struggled because he was thrust into a starting role prematurely and most importantly lacked the weapons on the outside to succeed. Gabbert finished with 12 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a completion percentage of just barely 50 percent in 15 games. 

The team's most productive receiver last year was Mike Thomas. He only had 44 receptions for 415 yards and one touchdown last season. Tight end Mercedes Lewis had 45 more yards than him with less catches and running back Maurice Jones-Drew had two more touchdowns with only one less reception than Thomas. 

You want to see a quality return on your quarterback investment? You go and get him a number one receiver. Michael Floyd not only fits that mold, but he is not much of a drop off from Justin Blackmon. 

The last couple of years, Blackmon benefited from a quality quarterback who will likely be drafted in the second round this year. He put up big numbers because of it and will be a top-10 pick with good reason. Floyd put up numbers not quite as big as Blackmon's, but he did not have the same stud quarterback. 

Still, with the quarterback carousel in South Bend, Floyd was able to put up great numbers. Last season he had 100 receptions for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns. Over his career, he had 271 receptions with over 3,600 yards and 37 touchdowns. 

In addition to his production, Floyd looks the part. He is 6'3", 220 pounds—the perfect size for a young quarterback to throw to. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds and posted a vertical jump of 36.5''. This makes him bigger and slightly faster than Blackmon. 

The Jaguars made a controversial decision in not aggressively going after Tim Tebow. They did go after him, but only after their was hope that the trade to the Jets would fall through. By then, Tebow made up his mind to push for the Jets trade and the Jaguars did not seem to push back too much.

Many thought Tebow would be the face of the franchise new Owner Shahid Khan needed to fill seats. Most likely, though, the Tebow experience would have been somewhat of a side show that stunted Gabbert's growth and provided mediocre results on the field.

Floyd is a star in the making. He has the charisma and ability to win over the Jacksonville fanbase and provide tangible results. He is the team's best chance at getting a star to compliment Maurice Jones-Drew and making Blaine Gabbert better.

The questions about Floyd's character should be put to rest. He has addressed them head on and has moved forward from his past issues. The young man made mistakes in the past, but he should be forgiven, and those transgressions should not be held against him. 

When you are able to find a highly productive player in the draft, it's never a reach. Michael Floyd needs to be drafted at number seven by the Jaguars. It will not only improve the team going forward, but it will provide the fanbase with a star in the making for years to come.