The Jacksonville Jaguars have selected South Carolina offensive guard A.J. Cann with the 67th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. As a four-year starter with the Gamecocks, Cann was a steady presence at left guard during his collegiate career and should bring immediate stability to the offensive line in Jacksonville.
NFL Draft picks 2015: A.J. Cann taken by Jaguars in 3rd round
Jacksonville hopes to improve its offensive line with its new guard.
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Though undersized at 6'3, Cann makes up for it with his strength and athleticism. His technique needs some work, but he's proven himself to be an intelligent player and a leader on the field. During his senior year, Cann was selected to the All-SEC team and was also named to several All-American teams.
In terms of his ability to contribute at an NFL level, Cann demonstrated that he can improve on the field. He keeps his head up when pass blocking and has good acceleration off the ball coupled with a low center of gravity. His powerful hands also help to mitigate his lack of overall size. Although his pass protection skills need to get better, Cann has the talent to become a starter in the league.
Due to a calf injury, Cann wasn't able to fully participate at the NFL Combine, but he still managed to put up 26 reps on the bench press. At South Carolina's pro day, he improved on his bench press numbers with 30 reps and then ran 40-yard dash times of 5.47 and 5.46. He added a 32.5-inch vertical and a 9'1 broad jump.
Even though he played left guard throughout his college career, Cann can play on the right side or even at center. At his pro day, he mostly worked out as a center in positional drills. Cann started every game but one at South Carolina and appeared in 52 total games. He was named a team captain as both a junior and a senior.
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