We've seen Jake Locker's name attached to quite a few teams in various 2011 NFL mock drafts, but this week a new suitor emerged. The Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins and even the Miami Dolphins have been connected to Locker at one point or another, but this time it was the other team from Florida with its name thrown in the Locker sweepstakes. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the newest team connected to Locker in at least one mock draft, and the reasoning makes it appear the former Washington quarterback may be a good fit.
SB Nation's latest 2011 NFL mock draft tied Locker to the Jaguars and has been slowly moving the Washington product up its draft boards recently. In Jacksonville, Locker will have time to develop behind David Garrard, making it an intriguing landing spot for the still-developing quarterback.
Locker's still flying under the radar a bit, but the theme here is that players with Locker's talent and intangibles don't last long in Round 1. David Garrard affords Locker the development time he'll need in Jacksonville.
Truth be told, this is another indication that projecting where Locker may end up in the first round is akin to throwing darts at a dartboard. Depending on who you ask, Locker is either a top-10 pick, destined for Seattle at No. 25 or barely in the first round. He may just be the toughest prospect to get a good read on ahead of the draft.
But in Jacksonville, Locker could find a suitable home with adequate time to develop behind Garrard, giving him valuable practice repetitions to work with as the coaching staff tweaks his mechanics. Though Locker has shown improvement recently, it's still likely he needs time to properly develop and asking him to step-in as the starter right away is a disaster waiting to happen. Whoever drafts him will need patience, but may reap significant rewards if he's able to fulfill his potential.
Stay with this StoryStream as we track various 2011 NFL mock drafts to see where Locker may end up when the draft begins on April 28.