Gators lineman Bryan taken at 29th
JACKSONVILLE — The Jaguars stayed put at No. 29 in Thursday’s first round of the NFL draft and selected Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan.
Bryan had only 5 ⁄ sacks in 36 career games for the Gators (14 starts). He joins a packed defensive-line depth chart that includes tackles Abry Jones, Malik Jackson and Marcell Dareus.
In selecting Bryan, the Jaguars passed on multiple offensive linemen — tackles Tyrell Crosby and Connor Williams and guard Will Hernandez, receivers Courtland Sutton and Christian Kirk and quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Bryan (6-5, 291 pounds) redshirted in 2014 and was a reserve in 2015-16. He started all 11 games he played in last year and had 40 tackles and four sacks.
The Jaguars have picks in the second and third rounds today.
Also on Thursday in statements released by the Jaguars and Fulham Football Club this morning, Jaguars owner Shad Khan confirmed a report in the Evening Standard that he is intending to buy iconic Wembley Stadium.
The reported sale price is $700 million.
Wembley is currently owned by the Football Association, English football’s governing body, which would use the sale funds to further develop the sport in the U.K.
The Jaguars have played games at Wembley the last five years and play Philadelphia on Oct. 28. Khan bought Fulham in July 2013.
In a statement released by the Jaguars, Khan said of purchasing Wembley: “For the Jaguars, it would deliver another — and very significant — asset and local revenue source that would further strengthen our investment in London, which as everyone knows is crucial to the Jaguars’ continued sustainability in Jacksonville. In every respect, the Jaguars’ standing in London would be improved and dramatically enhanced if we are fortunate to be approved as the new owner and steward of Wembley Stadium, and that’s good news for the Jaguars and all of Jacksonville.”
In 2017, the Jaguars’ game against Baltimore at Wembley accounted for 11 percent of the team’s local revenue. The London game is folded into the Jaguars’ local revenue report because it is considered a home game.
Last week in Jacksonville, Khan rolled out a $2.5 billion proposal to develop Lot J and more area around the Jaguars’ stadium. In previous years, Khan has helped finance the addition of end zone scoreboards, a renovated club-seat area, the Daily’s Place amphitheater.
“Today’s announcement is additional evidence that we are committed to create and enhance new revenue streams to boost the Jaguars, such as the incredibly successful Daily’s Place and the project we revealed last week with The Cordish Companies on the proposed development around EverBank Field,” Khan said. “Today’s news changes none of what we envision for the long-term promise for the Jaguars here in Jax, and it changes nothing as to the goals we have for your downtown.”