After falling out of the first round in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars took a chance on linebacker Myles Jack on Day 2.
Jack slipped down the draft board due to concerns that his knee condition could be an issue.
Progressing better than expected throughout the summer, Jack has impressed head coach Gus Bradley enough to work with the starters. That opportunity will come Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.
By the looks of this decision, it appears that Jack couldn’t be more thrilled to receive this honor.
#Jaguars LB Myles Jack on getting first-team reps Sunday night: "Even though it’s a preseason game, it will be like the Super Bowl to me."
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) August 24, 2016
Jack drew these strong comments from Bradley after his preseason debut.
“His demeanor and poise on the field were excellent,” said Bradley, per Hays Carlyon of jacksonville.com. “His running of the defense was very good. His physical nature jumped out.”
Prior to Jack’s injury-plagued 2015 campaign at UCLA, the linebacker tallied 87 combined tackles and one interception in 2014. He also ranked second in in the Pac 12 in passes defended as a safety the previous season.
Currently, Jack sits second in depth behind middle Paul Posluszny. The eventual plan would be for Jack to assume the starting role once he proves worthy of the slot. This could happen sooner than anyone expected if Jack continues to perform at a high level.