Jaguars: Full Position Breakdown and Depth Chart Analysis at Quarterback

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a much more stable place when it comes to quarterback than they were a year ago. Wondering when current starter Blake Bortles would get his chance is a question of the past, and now the team looks forward with Bortles as the top man. 

In the past, the Jaguars have seen stars like Mark Brunell and David Garrard take the helm as well as the busts of Blaine Gabbert and Byron Leftwich. Now, the team moves on to having young Bortles as the Week 1 starter.

Bortles came onto the national scene in 2013 for the University of Central Florida, establishing himself as a dual-threat QB and an NFL prospect with upside. The Jaguars believed in said upside and drafted him third overall in the 2014 NFL draft.

The 6'5", 232-pound QB joined the Jaguars, and it quickly became apparent that he was going to sit behind Chad Henne to try to learn throughout the 2014 season. As with most rookie quarterbacks, however, Bortles found himself in the starting role sooner than expected. 

It wouldn't be right to say he was thrust into the role, but it definitely was sooner than planned. The team couldn't move the ball in the first three weeks of the season, averaging 14.7 points per game and not really showing signs of improvement.

Watch Jaguars.com's Jeff Lageman break down some film from Bortles' rookie season.

While the introduction of Bortles didn't cause the offense to do much better, only 15.8 points per game, it did improve, and saw Bortles improve as well.

It wasn't an easy going for the UCF star, and over the span of 13 games, he threw 17 interceptions, only 11 touchdowns and managed a meager 69.5 QB rating. However, his time on the field was vital to his progression as a player.

Getting a proper feel for the offense and learning how his teammates play will be an invaluable experience in the long run. Whatever judgments and criticisms he dealt with last season will be worth it when he's better prepared this season and in the future.

Since arriving in Jacksonville, Bortles has been working on his throwing motion and his overall technical ability. He's got the athleticism, he just has to work out the kinks.

A big help to his progress, and hopefully a big help to his play this season, will be new offensive coordinator Greg Olson. Olson did wonders with Derek Carr for the Oakland Raiders, and he'll be an incredible teacher for Bortles in 2015.

Behind Bortles is the aforementioned Henne, who, despite the flak he gets, is an important part of the team. Very few quarterbacks have the experience Henne has, and that can be used as an important teaching tool for Bortles.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Also, if the worst should happen to Bortles, having Henne to at least steady the waters and gather the team will be beneficial. Bortles isn't the only player with experience with the starting receivers, and Henne is an insurance policy the Jaguars are very thankful for.

Behind Henne, Stephen Morris and Jake Waters are currently duking it out for the third-string QB spot. Morris should be the one to get the job, and with Henne and Bortles' help, he could be a good backup in the future.

However, UDFA Waters held his own in the first rookie minicamp and won't be easy for Morris to beat. Just another example of how deep competition runs in this team.

Overall, the Jaguars are where they planned to be in terms of the quarterback position. The growing pains are never fun, but they're important to the overall improvement of Bortles and of the team. Whether or not that will translate into results remains to be seen.

The Jaguars are doing their best, and the process is at least sensible and promising. With a young QB like Bortles, that's all one can ask for.

All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated. Predraft information courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com and NFL.com.

Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter at @evanreier.