Patrick Mahomes extension: How did teams pass on him in 2017?
By Felix Davila
Fourth overall: Jacksonville Jaguars
. Running back. 4. player. . LSU. Leonard Fournette. 52
The 2016 season was a disaster for the Jacksonville Jaguars, ending the year with a 3-13 record. Finishing 25th in the league in terms of offensive scoring, the team lacked any quality threat on the roster outside of then top receiver Allen Robinson. And while the defense could seriously hold up, finishing sixth in the league in total defense, Blake Bortles was not elevating the offense to new heights as a former top ten selection should.
The Jags decided to take Leonard Fournette. At the time, he was widely considered a promising star that could carry the weight of an offense the way scouts saw Ezekiel Elliott the year before. Unfortunately, that wasn’t close to being accurate, and running backs aren’t as coveted a position to draft highly, let alone top five. Mahomes was there, but the team was loyal to a fault with Bortles, who is no longer on the roster.
Fifth overall (TRADE): Tennessee Titans
35. . Wide receiver. Western Michigan. Corey Davis. player. . 5
Another AFC South team made the same mistake. The Tennessee Titans were an interesting team to pass on Patrick Mahomes, particularly because of their 2016 season. They finished 9-7, middle of the pack in terms of league standings, and technically had the 18th overall selection. But the team had also acquired the fifth overall selection through a previous 2016 trade with the Los Angeles Rams (which led to Jared Goff).
The Tennessee Titans also had Marcus Mariota, their second overall pick from the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota was an extremely promising and highly regarded prospect coming out, so it made sense for the team to stick with him leading into only his third year. Injuries also affected his play, so the team no doubt believed he could shake what was deemed bad luck. To top it all off, Corey Davis was considered by many the clear, top receiver in the draft and a guaranteed top ten selection. But to think the Titans could’ve chosen Patrick Mahomes with this pick! Or even use their immense draft capital to move up to secure him too. What could’ve been for Tennessee.
Sixth overall: New York Jets
30. . Safety. LSU. player. . Jamal Adams. 6
Yet another team that interestingly passed on Mahomes. The New York Jets were coming off of a poor season performance by starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the team obviously needed new direction. Instead of opting for Mahomes, the team selected Jamal Adams.
Don’t get me wrong, the Adams pick was a marvelous one. Jamal Adams has consistently been one of the best defenders in all of football. However, the Jets decided to place their starting quarterback job in the hands of the aforementioned Josh McCown. Considering this and the fact that Jamal Adams and the Jets seem destined for a divorce, not grabbing Patrick Mahomes may haunt this team if current QB Sam Darnold doesn’t live up to his hype.