AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

Colts GM Chris Ballard said he used a third-round pick on DB Julian Blackmon because he did not want to risk missing on him, despite some evaluators giving the defensive back a fourth- and fifth-round projection. 

“Really, it came more down to I didn’t want to lose him,” Ballard said, via George Bremer of The Herald Bulletin. “I didn’t want to lose him behind us. We thought there was a chance he would be there in the third. We were worried that he wouldn’t be there in the fourth.”

Ballard pointed out that Blackmon can play multiple defensive positions, including safety, cornerback, and in the nickel. 

“Look, he is a rangy, fast, athletic safety that can play corner, and he can play in the nickel. He has a lot of value in our defense and can play a bunch of multiple spots. This is his first year playing safety, and we liked him at corner, too, so we feel lucky to get him. He is a talented young man.”

Jaguars

Jaguars HC Doug Marrone said they plan to get second-round pick Laviska Shenault involved in their offense in a number of ways and take advantage of his unique skill set. 

“You can put him in the backfield. He can play Wildcat,” Marrone said, via ESPN.com. “You can put him as the F tight end. You can do a lot of things with him. You see it on his tape in 2018 and 2019. That’s one of the things we looked at.

“We went back there and I said [to Shenault], ‘Look, we can do all those things but the whole key is going to be how well you grasp it, how well you pick it up.’ Because if he can, make no mistake about it, we want to be able to do those things.”

Texans

New Texans WR Brandin Cooks is coming off of career-lows in catches and receiving yards while also missing time with concussion issues. 

Cooks explained that there was a lot going on last year that ultimately contributed to the down year. 

“I think there were a lot of nuances that was going on last year, not just for me but from a team standpoint,” Cooks said, via Pro Football Talk. “We had a lot going on and at the end of the day I dealt with some things on the field, but that does not go to show what type of player I am, the production I’ve been putting in year in and year out since I’ve been in the league. That was just one of those off years, but it comes with the game. That definitely is not the trend that you should be looking for from me as a player.”