Jaguars Journal
by Sam Kouvaris
April 23, 2010
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Jaguars First Round Pick
It's a football pick first and foremost.
Tyson Alualu as the first round pick for the Jaguars isn't exciting at first glance. A defensive lineman, Alualu was considered a first round pick, but not a household name by any means. He's a hustle guy "solid core, strong hands," Head Coach Jack Del Rio said after making the pick.
General Manager Gene Smith was elated when Alualu was there at the 10th pick in the first round. "It fell just about how we expected," Smith said of the nine picks prior to the Jaguars. The three guys taken before 10, Haden, McClain and Spiller, all would have been good fits for the Jaguars but they went to the next guy on their board and Alualu seemed to be a natural.
"I'm not trying to win a popularity contest," Smith said, "I'm trying to win the Super Bowl."
He very well knows that this pick didn't excite anybody and with all of the talk about Tim Tebow, taking a defensive tackle from the west coast is a huge buzz kill. But if you're trying to build a winning football team, Gene Smith style, you build from the center and last year's tackles added to this year's defensive interior lineman follows his form.
From a fan's standpoint, it's very unexciting but from a football standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. "Fans will like this guy," Del Rio added. "He's going to play with high energy and get the job done."
The only quarterback taken through the first half of the first round was the first pick, Sam Bradford. So it's not as if every other team had Tebow somewhere near the Jaguars spot in the draft. It's a cold-hearted league when it comes to talent and it appears Tim will go somewhere in line with how he's rated.
***Late Note: Tim Tebow was drafted late in the first round at #25 by Denver.
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