When the Jaguars selected Blaine Gabbert with the 10th overall selection, the instant comparison that the NFL Network crew made was Sam Bradford. It's not hard to see why. Take a look:

Sam Bradford

Height - 6'4"
Weight - 236
40 time - 4.79
Wonderlic - 36

Blaine Gabbert

Height - 6'4"
Weight - 234
40 time - 4.61
Wonderlic - 31

The Jaguars were not expected to have a chance to select Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert was supposedly a sure-fire top 5 selection that wouldn't be on the clock at 16. Well he wasn't and the Jaguars gave up their 16th pick and 49th pick to move up and select him.

Gene Smith and his team of scouts obviously feel that Blaine Gabbert is their future face of the franchise and if that's the case, he's worth giving up a 2nd round pick for.

The Jaguars will be on the clock again at the 80th overall selection in the third round. A scouting report is on the way. Your thoughts?

Yeah that's right, it's plural. I did two last minute mock drafts and finished with two hours until draft time. One features seven first round trades, the other is just a plain old mock draft. Click the links below to see them:

MOCK DRAFT (NO TRADES)

MOCK DRAFT (WITH TRADES)

Gene Smith has said that if a player they like is at the top of the Jaguars board when they're on the clock, he doesn't like the idea of getting "cute" with trades and potentially missing on a top player. With that said, Gene has also made it clear that he and Terry McDonough have been in contact with all 31 other NFL teamsand are willing to move in any round.

In the 2010 draft there were 7 first round trades that all occurred between picks 11 and 30. At 16 the Jaguars are at the heart of the one stretch of the draft when picks are swapped more than any other time. Additionally, it has been speculated by those well-versed in the draft that this year's draft will feature more trades than ever before due to the lockout withholding free agency. Without free agency teams have no way to know for sure that their needs will be addressed or what their options are so they're more likely to try to move and take the players they targeted out of need.

With all these factors combining, it is very probable that the Jaguars will receive phone calls when their clock starts at pick 16. And as long as the Jaguars don't have a player they are in love with on the board, it's very possiblethat they could accept one of these offers.

We're under 30 hours before the Panthers are officially placed on the clock for the beginning of the 2011 Draft. The draft boards are set and the teams have ranked the players from best to worst so that they can make their selection. I plan on doing the same, but first here are how I rank the players by their position.

QB
Jake Locker - Washington
Colin Kaepernick - Nevada
Blaine Gabbert - Missouri
Christian Ponder - Florida State
Cameron Newton - Auburn
Andy Dalton - TCU
Adam Weber - Minnesota
Ricky Stanzi - Iowa
Ryan Mallett - Arkansas
Tyrod Taylor - Virginia Tech

Most Jaguars fans could at least agree that the two drafts done by Gene Smith as general manager were relatively successful, some would go would farther that. Through two drafts the Jaguars have come away with two starting offensive tackles, two starting defensive tackles, a starting cornerback, a starting receiver, two backup receivers, two backup running backs, a backup tight end and two backup defensive ends. Not a bad haul so far.

It's safe to say that Smith isn't in the hot seat and his job is safe. However, it is very likely that the draft set to begin in two days will be a very defining one during his time as general manager and I'd go so far as to say it's the most important draft of his career.