NFL Draft rumors: Deshaun Watson an option for Jaguars at No. 4 overall
The Jacksonville Jaguars seem to looking for a reset at quarterback, and Deshaun Watson may be on their radar.
In 2015, Blake Bortles looked like a promising young quarterback while throwing for over 4,400 yards with 35 touchdowns. Leaving aside garbage time elevating his production that season, Bortles seriously regressed across the board last season. The Jacksonville Jaguars face a decision about a fifth-year contract option on Bortles next week, and multiple reports have suggested they will not do so.
The Jaguars seem certain to draft a quarterback sometime over the next few days, if only as a viable option for 2018 ahead of Bortles’ inevitable departure. But a rookie signal caller could also provide immediate competition for Bortles, and Jacksonville seems to have their eye on one of the top prospects in this year’s class.
And there is growing chatter about Deshaun Watson to #Jaguars at No. 4. #QBHysteria
— Jason Cole (@JasonCole62) April 27, 2017
This isn’t the first time the Jaguars have been tied to Watson, with Cris Collinsworth of NBC and Pro Football Focus pairing player and team at No. 4 overall in his mock draft last week. Peter Schrager of NFL Network and Fox Sports also passed along a rumor tying the Jaguars to Watson earlier this week. While the run-up to the draft is all about misdirection and “smoke screens” put out through the media by teams, there is some steam behind Watson ultimately landing in Jacksonville.
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Drafting Watson with their top-five pick Thursday night, assuming they don’t wind up trading down, would confirm how the Jaguars and new front office head Tom Coughlin feel about Bortles. An open competition for the starting job would surely be coming, and it would be easy to see Watson as the favorite to be under center come Week 1.