Jaguars general manager Gene Smith showed during the first round of the NFL Draft that he has the courage of his convictions.
Smith pulled a major surprise Thursday night when he selected defensive tackle Tyson Alualu of Cal with the 10th overall pick after the Jaguars weren’t able to swing a trade to move down for more picks.
In most of the media mock drafts, Alualu was rated as a late first round or early second round pick and ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said the Jaguars reached by half a round.
Smith knew there would be a lot of questions about the selection from fans, some of whom were upset that the Jaguars didn’t take quarterback Tim Tebow, who was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 25th pick on the first round.
Smith knew there would be a lot of questions about the selection from fans, some of whom were upset that the Jaguars didn’t take quarterback Tim Tebow, who was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 25th pick on the first round.
In an interesting twist, Alualu sacked Tebow in the Senior Bowl. He may have another chance during the season opener on Sept. 12 when the Jaguars host Tebow and the Broncos.
Of selecting Alualu in a surprise move, Smith said “I’m not trying to win a popularity contest. I understand people are going to have questions. I’m about winning the Super Bowl. I let the body of work drive our decision making.’’
When asked if this was a bold decision, he said, “That’s not my goal to be bold. My goal is to improve the roster by acquiring the best talent with the right kind of character and competitiveness that it takes to win at the highest level.
“I feel it’s a good decision for the organization. If you don’t trust the body of your work, if you don’t have the courage of your convictions, I think you’re in the wrong business.’’
Taking Alualu was part of a two-pronged strategy that will include an attempt to package veteran John Henderson in a deal for a second-round pick to take Penn State linebacker Sean Lee, who could step into the middle linebacker spot.
When Smith was asked about trading Henderson, he didn’t dismiss the idea.
“We’ll listen to what anybody has to say. We’ll have dialogue with teams. We’ll be on the phone with every team in the NFL, seeing what they’re thinking, sharing some of our thoughts. I’m open to whatever consideration will help this team get better,’’ he said.
Smith said the Jaguars went into the draft figuring they would take Alualu if he was available in the first round. He said the Jaguars thought other teams were interested in him.
“We knew there were other teams, one in particular we had monitored [was interested]. If he was there and we didn’t get something where we felt worthy of considering trading back at some point [they would take him],’’ he said.
But Smith said they didn’t get any acceptable offers to move down although the three teams after them in the draft order traded down.
Like most draft followers, Alulalu said he thought he’d be picked late in the first round or early in the second and thought New England might take him there. He said the Titans and Eagles also showed interest.
The difference between going late in the first round and in the 10th spot will be worth millions of dollars to Alualu. Michael Crabtree of San Francisco got a six-year, $32 million deal last year as the 10th pick.
”That comes with it,’’ he said. “A lot of things are going through my head.’’
The son of a pastor, Alualu is noted as a high-character player and he called the media from church. He is married and the father of two. He’s of Samoan heritage although he grew up in Hawaii and started playing football in the third grade.
Alualu called himself a player with relentless pursuit who plays from snap to whistle and the Jaguars described him the same way.
“This is a passionate football player,’’ said Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio. “Plays with a great deal of energy, a high motor as [defensive line coach Joe] Cullen said. He plays with a lot of relentless energy.’’
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