Tyson Who? You'll See

By: Jake

Although the Bills started the cascade of surprising picks and questionable trades drafting RB CJ Spiller, the Jaguars definitely raised some eyebrows with the next pick selecting DT/DE Tyson Alualu of Cal. The Hawaiian defensive tackle was thought by many to have a low first or high second grade on him by many experts, yet the Jaguars went ahead and chose him with the 10th pick in the 2010 draft. A few other teams like Miami and Tennessee were also rumored to have an interest in him, which likely scared Jaguars GM Gene Smith into picking him instead of pulling a similar trade to that of the 49ers who traded back 3 spots and only netted an extra 4th rounder. The Dolphins picked at 12 and the Jaguars did not feel like they could have come out of that scenario with Alualu and the extra 4th so he was the pick at #10. Another curios thing to think about is what would the situation have been if the Bills and Raiders had not drafted two of the Jaguars most highly thought of prospects in Spiller and Rolando McClain who the Jaguars were supposedly very high on? All of that is a moot point now as many Jaguars fans are getting more and more used to the pick and beginning to accept Alualu and his awesome last name into the Jaguars family. And frankly after they watch the tape on him, its hard to blame them for their optimism. Gene Smith had an extremely good draft last year, taking two immediate starters on the O-Line, a starting CB who led the team in INT, and a WR who recorded the most receptions for a rookie in Jaguars history, surpassing Maurice Jones-Drew’s record set n his rookie year. On top of those players, he also took TE Zach Miller who was really looking like his fellow Zach Miller in Oakland with his speed and YAC ability throughout the season. Smith didn’t stop there with the productive picks, as 7th round pick Rashad Jennings was the spell back for Maurice Jones-Drew out playing RB Chauncey Washington who many were high on coming off the 2008 campaign.

Some Jaguars fans are worried however, abut the lack of an exciting player being chosen with the #10 overall pick as sagging ticket sales is something they’re beginning to grow weary of hearing about. Many believe a sexy pick like QB Jimmy Clausen who was available at that pick would have boosted revenue and brought an excitement to the team that is needed to sell out a stadium. GM Gene Smith ahs other ideas about that way of approaching the draft, ““I’m not trying to win a popularity contest. I’m about winning a Super Bowl,” he said at the press conference after Day 1 of the draft. And while some people are skeptical of the pick, others like Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com is happy with the pick and the way that Gene Smith is attacking the draft. In his article about the Alualu pick, he stated that Gene knows that you build a team from the inside out and drafting outstanding DTs and OT’s is the way you win the battles in the trenches and ultimately the game. It is widely known that the Jaguars were worst in the league in pass rushing last year as they recorded only 14 sacks the entire year even after drafting Des with their two first round picks two years ago. The selection of Alualu and the addition of Aaron Kampman in the offseason were clearly direct attempts to fix that gaping hole in the defense that prevented the Jaguars from being effective on the defensive side specifically against the pass. Whether or not this pick will end up being the right one will only be answered in time and at this time we can only speculate. This Jaguars fan however, remains optimistic and trusts the man making the decisions.