JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio told Brent Martineau and Austen Lane on Tuesday that he had "no idea" the team was drafting Blaine Gabbert back in 2011.
Del Rio made the comments on Action Sports Jax on ESPN690 in Jacksonville during a series the show has run in June celebrating the 25th season of the Jaguars.
"Something I was going to wait to divulge in a book someday, but I'll give you a little nugget right here," Del Rio said. "I had no idea we were gonna draft Blaine Gabbert."
The Jaguars traded up in 2011 to draft Gabbert with then General Manager Gene Smith at the helm. The Jags gave up their 16th overall pick and their 49th pick in the draft in a trade with Washington to draft Gabbert 10th overall.
Gabbert was 5-22 as a starter in his Jags career, throwing 22 touchdowns against 24 interceptions in 28 career games. He has since played for the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and is currently with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
"I had no idea," Del Rio continued. "In fact, I left to go get something to eat because our pick wasn't for much longer in the draft. I go and I'm sitting there filling my plate thinking oh great, we have a couple more hours before I pick and I see the Jaguars are on the clock and I'm like what the blank is going on."
Jack Del Rio on Action Sports Jax dropping a BOMB saying that he had NO IDEA that the Jaguars were going to draft Blaine Gabbert... #Jags #duuuval
— ESPN 690 (@ESPN690Jax) June 25, 2019
Full Interview: https://t.co/YRsDIitqlY pic.twitter.com/EGwM6K1tBq
Del Rio continued with the draft day story by describing the war room when he walked back in there.
"I could see it on the faces of the people," he said. "They knew, alright, how uncomfortable it was, how wrong that was. The reality is I had no idea."
Del Rio elaborated on the evaluated of Gabbert. He thought the young qb out of Missouri was more of a 3rd or 4th round talent.
"He wasn't a first round guy," Del Rio told ESPN690. "He wasn't a guy to trade your draft and go up and get him. That was part of coaching. That was not part of me. That was the first indication that my time in J-Ville was running short."
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