The Jacksonville Jaguars did an amazing job of hiding their intentions during the lead up to the 2014 NFL Draft.
Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley and GM David Caldwell barely sniffed quarterback Blake Bortles during the pre-draft process, yet wound up selecting him with the third-overall pick last year.
Could the Jaguars, set to select at No. 3 again, be prepared to make the same kind of altogether unexpected move in the looming 2015 NFL Draft?
"I think the third spot could shock people (again)," an unnamed AFC personnel man told Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. "I think they like Cooper more than they are letting on. You hear things and they have been pretty good about what's getting out there. It's a lot like it was last year."
Cooper, of course, is former Alabama wide receiver and top-five projected 2015 NFL Draft pick Amari Cooper.
Cooper certainly wouldn't seem to fill a need for the Jaguars considering the trio of big, young wide receivers - Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee - already in the Jacksonville fold, along with the recently acquired touchdown machine, Julius Thomas.
The personnel man, though was unperturbed.
"Which of their receivers has the potential to be elite at his position and how many of them were healthy?" the personnel exec told Yahoo. " ... Maybe Cooper is the best player in the draft. If that's the case, you make two positions better with that pick -- and one of the positions you're improving (quarterback) is the most important in the game."
Per the personnel man, adding Cooper wouldn't just upgrade the Jaguars pass-catching group - it would help Bortles, who posted pretty bad numbers last season - 280 completions, 2,908 yards, 11 touchdowns and 17 interceptions - in his effort to turn himself into a franchise quarterback and deliver on the promise that made him the third-overall pick just last season.
Robinson (48 catches, 548 yards), Hurns (51 catches, 677 yards) and Lee (37 catches, 422 yards) all showed promise last season, but none of them provide the same type of savvy and route running ability that could quickly endear Cooper to Bortles and the Jaguars fanbase.
While a top defensive prospect still seems the likeliest outcome for the Jags later this week, Cooper certainly wouldn't be a bad pick either, especially if he winds up being Bortles' trusty security blanket on those tough third downs next season.
