Blaine Gabbert to make NFL Debut at Carolina

According to the Associated Press, Blaine Gabbert, the tenth overall pick from this year’s draft, will start this coming Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Of course he will be facing first overall pick Cam Newton.

As I briefly mentioned in my season preview, Gabbert was bound to take the starting role because of David Garrard’s lack of success (and later dismissal) and Luke McCown’s lack of upside. This was a good move by the Jags. If recent QB history has shown anything, it’s that throwing a young QB into the fray is as effective as ever.

Gabbert is as young as they get too. He’s 21, and he’ll be turning 22 next month. Don’t let age fool you though. When Gabbert came out of high school, Rivals.com rated him five stars out of five, and during his college career at Missouri many scouts touted him as the most “pro-ready.”

His first test will be against a Carolina defense that has given up the seventh most yards this season, but I can see Jack Del Rio planning to hand the ball to Maurice Jones-Drew early and often. This will be good for Gabbert since every young QB needs a good running game for support.

I’m interested to see how the relationship between Gabbert and Pro Bowl tight end Marcedes Lewis. Lewis is a talented pass-catcher, and Gabbert should always be on the lookout for when the 6’6” Lewis is mismatched with a linebacker.