Introduction
In my endless research of all things football and through my passion for the history of the NFL, I have decided to try and compile an All-Time Team for all 32 current NFL franchises. By All-Time Team I mean a starting roster compiled of the very best players to ever put on each franchise’s jersey. I will be starting in alphabetical order by current franchise location, so Arizona Cardinals all the way to The Washington Football Team, with the goal of releasing one to two All-Time teams a week for the duration of the current NFL season. This is meant to be fun and cause some debate and is based on my opinion after all my research and deep dives into each franchise’s history. Of course, not everyone will agree with who I chose, and I’d love to hear from anyone who agrees or disagrees, but first, let’s lay out some ground rules for how I came up with each team.
1. Each team roster will consist of the following:
Offense - 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 2 OT, 2 OG, 1 C
Defense - 2 DE, 2 DT, 3 LB, 2 CB, 2 S
Special Teams - 1 K, 1 P, 1 Returner
Coach - 1 Head Coach
2. I only considered an individual’s stats and contributions with each specific franchise. For example, Peyton Manning’s years with the Broncos were not considered when deciding on the starting QB of the Colts All-Time Team. As a result, the stats and awards listed with each individual player are only those that were achieved with that specific franchise.
3. A player cannot represent two teams as the starter. Players who spent time with more than one team were considered for the franchise they spent the most time with or had the most impact on. This rule led to some interesting scenarios that I will discuss in detail with each specific article to try and clear up any confusion.
4. A player’s stats and impact were considered in context with their era. This won’t simply be a listing of who passed or ran for the most yards in franchise history.
5. All stats are from Pro-Football-Reference and through the 2021 season. I will also be counting sacks from 1960, though the NFL doesn't officially count sacks until 1982.
6. Players in the "Honorable Mentions" section are ordered by year. It's not an indication of where I believe they rank in franchise history.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to it!
Jacksonville Jaguars All-Time Team
Franchise Information
First Season: 1995
Record: 180-253 (41.57 W-L%)
Playoff Record: 7-7
Super Bowls Won: 0
Passing Leader: Mark Brunell 2,184/3,616 | 25,698 Yds | 144 TD
Rushing Leader: Fred Taylor 2,428 Att | 11,271 Yds | 62 TD
Receiving Leader: Jimmy Smith 862 Rec | 12,287 Yds | 67 TD
Sack Leader: Tony Brackens 55 Sk
Interception Leader: Rashean Mathis 30 Int
Scoring Leader: Josh Scobee 1,022 Points
Winningest Coach: Tom Coughlin 68-60
QB: Mark Brunell (1995-2003)
Record: 63-54 | 60.4 Cmp% | 25,698 Yds | 144 TD | 86 Int | 2,219 Rush Yds | 14 Rush TD | Led League in Yds 1996 (4,367) | Led League in Yds/A 1996 (7.8) | Led League in Yds/G 1996 (272.9) | 3x Pro-Bowl (96, 97, 99)
Mark Brunell is the obvious choice at quarterback for the All-Time Jaguars. Brunell was the first starting quarterback in franchise history and still holds franchise records in every major passing category. He led the Jaguars to the playoffs four times and the AFC Championship game twice. Brunell also had three seasons of at least 11 wins. His best season statistically came in 1996 when he led the league in yards, yards per attempt and yards per game. Brunell was voted to the Pro-Bowl in 1996, 1997 and 1999. He isn't quite a Hall of Fame quarterback, but he was one of the better QBs of the 1990's and most certainly the best in Jaguars history.
Honorable Mentions
David Garrard (2002-2010) | Record: 39-37 | 61.6 Cmp% | 16,003 Yds | 89 TD | 54 Int | 1,746 Rush Yds | 17 Rush TD | 1x Pro-Bowl (09)
Byron Leftwich (2003-2006) | Record: 24-20 | 58.7 Cmp% | 9,042 Yds | 51 TD | 36 Int | 364 Rush Yds | 8 Rush TD
Blake Bortles (2014-2018) | Record: 24-49 | 59.3 Cmp% | 17,646 Yds | 103 TD | 75 Int | 1,775 Rush Yds | 8 Rush TD
RB: Fred Taylor (1998-2008)
4.6 Yds/A | 11,271 Yds | 62 TD | 286 Rec | 2,361 Rec Yds | 8 Rec TD | Led League in Yds/G 2000 (107.6) | 1x Pro-Bowl (07)
Fred Taylor is arguably the most underrated running back of all time. He had seven seasons of at least 1,000 yards rushing and twice he had at least 10 touchdowns. He's the franchise leader in yards and second in touchdowns. Six of his 1,000-yard rushing seasons he had over 1,2000 yards. Taylor was somehow only voted to one Pro-Bowl in his career, coming in 2007. He currently ranks just inside the top 20 for career rushing yards in NFL history and he has an outside shot to be inducted into the Hall of Fame one day.
RB: Maurice Jones-Drew (2006-2013)
4.5 Yds/A | 8,071 Yds | 68 TD | 335 Rec | 2,873 Rec Yds | 11 Rec TD | Led League in Yds 2011 (1,606) | Led League in Yds/G 2011 (100.4) | 3x Pro-Bowl (09, 10, 11) | 1x All-Pro (11)
I forgot just how good Maurice Jones-Drew was during his years in Jacksonville. He was especially good for a three-year stretch from 2009-2011. In all three of these seasons, he had at least 1,300 yards rushing, including leading the league in 2011 with 1,606 yards. Jones-Drew also had at least 10 touchdowns in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He currently holds the franchise record in rushing touchdowns and was voted to three straight Pro-Bowls from 2009-2011, as well as being voted to the All-Pro Team in 2011.
Honorable Mentions
James Stewart (1995-1999) | 3.9 Yds/A | 2,951 Yds | 33 TD | 119 Rec | 853 Rec Yds | 5 Rec TD
WR: Jimmy Smith (1995-2005)
862 Rec | 12,287 Yds | 67 TD | Led League in Rec 1999 (116) | 5x Pro-Bowl (97, 98, 99, 00, 01)
In my opinion, Jimmy Smith is an even more overlooked player than Fred Taylor. Smith was a beast at wide receiver for the Jaguars for their first 11 seasons of existence. He had nine 1,000-yard seasons in Jacksonville, including a career best 1,636 yards in 1999. Smith was also the league leader in receptions in that same 1999 season with 116. He holds the franchise records in all major receiving categories as well. At retirement in 2005, Smith ranked 7th in receptions, 11th in yards and 22nd in touchdowns in NFL history. He was also voted to five straight Pro-Bowls from 1997-2001. Smith may never make it to the Hall of Fame and will most likely get overshadowed by the receivers of the past two decades who greatly benefited from the pass happy league that today's NFL has become, but in my opinion, he had a Hall of Fame worthy career.
WR: Keenan McCardell (1996-2001)
499 Rec | 6,393 Yds | 30 TD | 1x Pro-Bowl (96)
Keenan McCardell teamed up with Jimmy Smith for six seasons to make one of the better wide receiver duos in NFL history. McCardell had four 1,000-yard receiving seasons in Jacksonville and they all came in seasons where Smith also had 1,000 yards. His best season was 2000, where he had 1,200 yards and five touchdowns. He currently ranks second in franchise history in receptions, yards and touchdowns and was voted to the Pro-Bowl in 1996.
WR: Allen Robinson (2014-2017)
202 Rec | 2,848 Yds | 22 TD | Led League in TD 2015 (14) | Led League in RRTD 2015 (14) | 1x Pro-Bowl (15)
After Smith and McCardell, the Jaguars haven't really had any other long tenured receivers. Robinson only spent four seasons with the Jaguars, but he had some decent years and one great season during those four years. His best season was 2015 where he had 1,400 yards and a league leading 14 touchdowns. Robinson was also voted to his only Pro-Bowl with the Jaguars in that same 2015 season.
Honorable Mentions
Allen Hurns (2014-2017) | 189 Rec | 2,669 Yds | 21 TD
TE: Marcedes Lewis (2006-2017)
375 Rec | 4,502 Yds | 33 TD | 1x Pro-Bowl (10)
Marcedes Lewis is the clear choice at tight end for Jacksonville. He spent 12 seasons with the Jaguars, catching 375 passes for 4,502 yards and 33 touchdowns, all of which are franchise records for a tight end. Lewis had his best season in 2010 when he had 700 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns and was voted to his only Pro-Bowl.
Honorable Mentions
Pete Mitchell (1995-1998, 2002) | 191 Rec | 2,091 Yds | 11 TD
Kyle Brady (1999-2006) | 241 Rec | 2,500 Yds | 13 TD
OT: Tony Boselli (1995-2001)
Started 90 of 91 Games | 5x Pro-Bowl (96, 97, 98, 99, 00) | 3x All-Pro (97, 98, 99) | Hall of Fame All-1990s Team | Hall of Fame Class 2022
Tony Boselli is the first player who spent the majority of their career with the Jaguars to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. His career was cut short by injuries, but he was still able to start 90 games and be voted to five straight Pro-Bowls from 1996-2000 and three straight All-Pro Teams from 1997-1999. Boselli was also voted to the Hall of Fame All-1990s Team. He was arguably the best offensive lineman in the NFL during his seven seasons and he was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.
OT: Maurice Williams (2001-2009)
Started 100 of 105 Games
After Boselli there's a drop off at tackle, but that's to be expected for a team that had its first season in 1995. I'm going with Maurice Williams. He's the only offensive tackle to start in over 100 games in franchise history. He did so from 2001-2009, including starting all 16 games in five seasons. Leon Searcy was a close second here as he started over 60 games and made a Pro-Bowl.
Honorable Mentions
Leon Searcy (1996-1999) | Started 63 of 63 Games | 1x Pro-Bowl (99)
OG: Vince Manuwai (2003-2010)
Started 105 of 111 Games
First up at offensive guard is Vince Manuwai. Manuwai started every game in four seasons and started in at least 10 games in all but one season. He's the only offensive guard in Jaguar's history to start in over 100 games.
OG: Chris Naeole (2002-2007)
Started 87 of 87 Games
For the second offensive guard spot, it was a toss-up between Chris Naeole and Uche Nwaneri. Ultimately, I went with Naeole because he started every game in a season one more time than Nwaneri. Naeole started every game from 2002-2004 and in 2006.
Honorable Mentions
Ben Coleman (1995-1999) | Started 65 of 74 Games
Uche Nwaneri (2007-2013) | Started 92 of 104 Games
C: Brad Meester (2000-2013)
Started 209 of 209 Games
Nobody has played in more games in a Jaguars uniform than Brad Meester. Meester started 209 games in Jacksonville from 2000-2013. He started every game in 11 seasons and only missed 15 games in his 14-year career. He surprisingly was never voted to a single Pro-Bowl or All-Pro Team, but he's easily one of the greatest Jaguars of all time.
Honorable Mentions
Brandon Linder (2014-Present) | Started 88 of 88 Games
DE: Tony Brackens (1996-2003)
5 Int | 27 FF | 13 FR | 55 Sk | 362 Tackles | 53 TFL | Led League in FF 1996 and 1999 (5, 8) | 1x Pro-Bowl (99)
First up at defensive end is Tony Brackens. Brackens is the franchise leader in sacks with 55. He had at least 10 sacks in two seasons, including a career high 12 sacks in 1999. Brackens also led the league in forced fumbles in both 1996 and 1999 when he forced five and eight fumbles respectively. Brackens was voted to his lone Pro-Bowl in 1999.
DE: Yannick Ngakoue (2016-2019)
2 Int | 14 FF | 3 FR | 37.5 Sk | 122 Tackles | 42 TFL | Led League in FF 2017 (6) | 1x Pro-Bowl (17)
Calais Campbell is already a starter for the All-Time Cardinals, otherwise he would be in this spot. Yannick Ngakoue is the next man up. Ngakoue spent four seasons in Jacksonville, racking up 37.5 sacks and 42 tackles for loss. He had at least eight sacks in all four seasons and his best season came in 2017 when he had 12 sacks and led the league in forced fumbles with six. He was also voted to the Pro-Bowl in that same 2017 season.
Honorable Mentions
Rob Meier (2000-2008) | 3 FF | 3 FR | 21.5 Sk | 232 Tackles | 48 TFL
Paul Spicer (2000-2008) | 1 Int | 8 FF | 4 FR | 28.5 Sk | 259 Tackles | 50 TFL
Joel Smeenge (1995-2000) | 1 Int | 9 FF | 3 FR | 34 Sk | 192 Tackles
Calais Campbell (2017-2019) | 6 FF | 3 FR | 31.5 Sk | 195 Tackles | 44 TFL | 3x Pro-Bowl (17, 18, 19) | 1x All-Pro (17) | 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year | Hall of Fame All-2010s Team
DT: John Henderson (2002-2009)
8 FF | 5 FR | 29 Sk | 426 Tackles | 58 TFL | 2x Pro-Bowl (04, 06)
John Henderson is the first defensive tackle off the board for the All-Time Jaguars. Henderson spent eight seasons with the Jaguars and racked up 29 sacks, over 400 tackles and 58 tackles for loss. He had at least three sacks in six of his eight seasons and had a career high six sacks in 2002. Henderson was also voted to the Pro-Bowl in 2004 and 2006.
DT: Marcus Stroud (2001-2007)
6 FF | 3 FR | 22 Sk | 279 Tackles | 43 TFL | 3x Pro-Bowl (03, 04, 05)
Marcus Stroud was teammates with Henderson for seven seasons and is also teammates with him here. Stroud had over three sacks in four seasons and had a career high 6.5 sacks in 2002. He was voted to three straight Pro-Bowls from 2003-2004. Gary Walker and Malik Jackson both had very good small stints with the Jaguars as well.
Honorable Mentions
Gary Walker (1999-2001) | 3 FF | 1 FR | 22.5 Sk | 140 Tackles | 40 TFL | 1x Pro-Bowl (01)
Tyson Alualu (2010-2016) | 2 FF | 3 FR | 17.5 Sk | 258 Tackles | 30 TFL
Abry Jones (2013-2020) | 3 FF | 3 FR | 9.5 Sk | 196 Tackles | 18 TFL
Malik Jackson (2016-2018) | 4 FF | 1 FR | 18 Sk | 105 Tackles | 28 TFL | 1x Pro-Bowl (17)
LB: Paul Posluszny (2011-2017)
11 Int | 4 FF | 2 FR | 13 Sk | 816 Tackles | 45 TFL | Led League in Solo Tackles 2013 (122) | 1x Pro-Bowl (13)
Paul Posluszny is the first linebacker for the All-Time Jaguars. He's the franchise leader in tackles and spent seven seasons in Jacksonville. He led the league in solo tackles in 2013 with 122 tackles and made his only Pro-Bowl in that same season. Posluszny had over 100 tackles in five seasons and is easily one of the great middle linebackers in franchise history.
LB: Kevin Hardy (1996-2001)
5 Int | 8 FF | 6 FR | 28.5 Sk | 504 Tackles | 30 TFL | 1x Pro-Bowl (99) | 1x All-Pro (99)
Next up at linebacker is Kevin Hardy. Hardy spent six seasons in Jacksonville, intercepting five passes and racking up over 25 sacks and 500 tackles. He had one of the best seasons ever for a Jaguars defender in 1999 when he had 10.5 sacks and was voted to the Pro-Bowl and All-Pro Team.
LB: Telvin Smith (2014-2018)
9 Int | 5 FF | 6 FR | 7.5 Sk | 587 Tackles | 52 TFL | 1x Pro-Bowl (17)
Rounding out this trio of linebackers is Telvin Smith. Smith only spent five seasons with the Jaguars, but he had at least 102 tackles in all five of them. Smith intercepted nine passes and totaled just under 600 tackles in his time in Jacksonville. He was voted to his lone Pro-Bowl in 2017. Daryl Smith has a decent shot at this spot as well, as he was solid with the Jaguars for nine seasons.
Honorable Mentions
Daryl Smith (2004-2012) | 6 Int | 8 FF | 5 FR | 21.5 Sk | 682 Tackles | 57 TFL
Myles Jack (2016-Present) | 3 Int | 2 FF | 4 FR | 6.5 Sk | 513 Tackles | 19 TFL
CB: Rashean Mathis (2003-2012)
30 Int | 6 FF | 5 FR | 1 Sk | 520 Tackles | 15 TFL | 1x Pro-Bowl (06) | 1x All-Pro (06)
Rashean Mathis is the clear choice at cornerback for the Jaguars. He has the franchise record in interceptions with 30. His 30 interceptions are twice as many as the next closest player in franchise history. Mathis had multiple interceptions in six seasons, including a career high eight interceptions in 2006. In 2006, Mathis was arguably the best cornerback in the league as he was voted to the Pro-Bowl and All-Pro Team.
CB: Jalen Ramsey (2016-2019)
9 Int | 2 FF | 193 Tackles | 6 TFL | 3x Pro-Bowl (17, 18, 19) | 1x All-Pro (17)
Jalen Ramsey is the other starting cornerback for the All-Time Jaguars. Ramsey was one of the best shut down corners during his four seasons in Jacksonville. He only intercepted nine passes in those four seasons, but that's because quarterbacks didn't want to throw his way. Ramsey was voted to the Pro-Bowl in three straight seasons from 2017-2019 and also named to the All-Pro Team in 2017. It's worth noting that Aaron Beasley is second in franchise history with 15 interceptions.
Honorable Mentions
Aaron Beasley (1996-2001) | 15 Int | 7 FF | 3 FR | 7.5 Sk | 279 Tackles | 8 TFL
A.J. Bouye (2017-2019) | 8 Int | 174 Tackles | 1 TFL | 1x Pro-Bowl (17)
S: Donovin Darius (1998-2006)
14 Int | 7 FF | 6 FR | 2 Sk | 618 Tackles | 15 TFL
First up at safety is Donovin Darius. Darius might not sound like a household name, but he's really the only safety to spend full career with the team. He spent nine seasons in Jacksonville, intercepting 14 passes and compiling over 600 tackles. His best season came in 2004 wen he had five interceptions and over 80 tackles. Darius's 618 tackles are also third in franchise history. He never made a Pro-Bowl or All-Pro Team, but he was a solid safety for almost a decade.
S: Chris Hudson (1995-1998)
8 Int | 5 FR | 0.5 Sk
Chris Hudson is the other safety for this All-Time Jaguars team. The Jaguars are not very deep at the position, but for three seasons Hudson was solid safety. He didn't play much during his rookie season, but then he had at least three interceptions in his next three years in Jacksonville. He gets the nod here, really because there just isn't anyone else.
K: Josh Scobee (2004-2014)
80.8 FG% | 59 Long | 1,022 Points | Led League in FG% 2007 (92.3%)
Josh Scobee gets the starting spot at kicker. Scobee is the franchise leader in points with 1,022 and was with Jacksonville for 11 seasons from 2004-2014. He led the league in field goal percentage in 2007 and made just over 80% of field goal attempts.
Honorable Mentions
Mike Hollis (1995-2001) | 80.6 FG% | 53 Long | 764 Points | Led League in Points 1997 (134) | 1x Pro-Bowl (97)
P: Bryan Barker (1995-2000)
19,849 Punt Yds | 83 Long | 43.5 Yds/Punt | Led League in Long 1999 (83) | 1x Pro-Bowl (97) | 1x All-Pro (97)
I'm going with Bryan Barker at punter for the All-Time Jaguars. Barker averaged over 43 yards per punt during his six seasons in Jacksonville and he also had the longest punt of the year in 1999. Barker was voted to the Pro-Bowl and All-Pro Team in 1997. This All-Pro Team is what gives him the edge over Chris Hanson and Bryan Anger, who both had good seasons with the Jaguars as well.
Honorable Mentions
Chris Hanson (2001-2006) | 18,190 Punt Yds | 74 Long | 42.9 Yds/Punt | 1x Pro-Bowl (02)
Bryan Anger (2012-2015) | 16,855 Punt Yds | 73 Long | 46.8 Yds/Punt | Led League in Punt Yds 2013 (4,338) | Led League in Yds/Punt 2014 (47.5)
Returner: Reggie Barlow (1996-2000)
1,581 Punt Rt Yds | 2 Punt Rt TD | 10.8 Yds/Punt Rt | 1,634 Kick Rt Yds | 1 Kick Rt TD | 23.3 Yds/Kick Rt | Led League in Punt Rt Yds 1998 (555)
Reggie Barlow is the starting returner for this all-time team. He led the league in punt return yards in 1998 with 555 yards and totaled over 1,500 punt return yards in his five seasons in Jacksonville. Barlow also had over 1,600 kick return yards and one kick return touchdown as well. Maurice Jones-Drew also had some great seasons returning punts as well.
Honorable Mentions
Maurice Jones-Drew (2006-2013) | 133 Punt Rt Yds | 8.9 Yds/Punt Rt | 2,054 Kick Rt Yds | 2 Kic Rt TD | 26 Yds/Kick Rt | 3x Pro-Bowl (09, 10, 11) | 1x All-Pro (11)
Head Coach: Tom Coughlin (1995-2000)
Regular Season: 68-60 | 53.1 W-L% | Playoffs: 4-4
This might surprise some people, as Tom Coughlin is better remembered for his two Super Bowl wins with the New York Giants, but Coughlin is easily the best coach in Jaguars history and the Giants have a different coach of their all-time team. Coughlin was the first ever coach for the Jaguars and led them to four playoff appearances and four winning seasons, including leading them to the AFC Championship game in 1996 and 1999.
Honorable Mentions
Jack Del Rio (2003-2011) | Regular Season: 68-71 | 48.9 W-L% | Playoffs: 1-2
