JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars didn't want to wait to select DJ Chark.
Jacksonville's front office was eager to trade up for the 6-foot-3, 199-pound wide receiver from LSU. General manager Dave Caldwell made multiple calls but failed to find a trade partner before the Jaguars' 61st overall pick.
Luckily for Caldwell, Chark remained on the board for the Jaguars' second selection of the draft weekend.
“We started with about [No. 50 pick] and kept coming down all the way to Pittsburgh," Caldwell said, shortly after selecting Chark. "Nobody likes the Jags anymore. Back when we were 3-13, everyone wanted to make deals with us.”
Jaguars select former LSU WR D.J. Chark with the 61st pick in the NFL Draft
Despite the lack of draft dealing, the Jaguars added a player who they perceive to be a multi-faceted asset.
Chark showed off his elite speed by running a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Caldwell believes that speed will help the Jaguars in both phases of the offense.
"It’s a pick not just for our passing game but our running game, too," Caldwell said. "When you have a guy with that kind of speed, teams have to be cognizant of him making big plays down the field.”
Caldwell was also quick to note Chark's blocking ability, which should be a major asset for the "run first" offense the Jaguars deploy.
Chark said he takes a lot of pride in that aspect of his game.
"That is something I take serious," Chark said during a conference call with local media.
"If I have a block, I have to go make it. If I see someone coming down, I am going to get it. To be able to make it on the next level, I feel like whoever I am assigned to go get, I am going to go get them. I am going to make sure I open up lanes in the run game and help this team win.”
Chark's blocking prowess should help his former college roommate and new Jaguars teammate, Leonard Fournette, this season. The two players are close, as they've had a relationship since arriving at LSU in 2014.
"[Fournette] asked me if I was ready to work," Chark said. "I told him, he knows me, he should know I am ready to work. I can’t wait to get out there. I can’t wait to get out there with that team. I love the way they play. So much energy and youth. I just can’t wait.”
Chark wore the legendary No. 7 jersey at LSU after Fournette left for the draft last offseason. The number is typically worn by the team's top playmaker.
“It is huge," Chark said, regarding the No. 7 jersey.
"You do not want to let the person who wore it [before] you down. I happen to have Leonard Fournette in front of me. Every time I went out there I couldn’t let him down. To be able to be picked in the second round to the team he went to – I feel like I did a pretty good job wearing that number.”
Chark was a late-bloomer at LSU. He didn't catch a pass until his junior year.
Still, the lanky wide receiver made the most of his final two seasons with the Tigers, producing 66 receptions for 1,351 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Those two campaigns led to a Senior Bowl invite that put him in position to be considered a strong NFL draft prospect.
Chark produced five receptions for 160 receiving yards and a touchdown during the annual all-star game. He shined in front of NFL scouts from all 32 teams, showing off his unique traits in a game setting against the top talent at the college level.
"It was a chance to get me out in front of a lot of guys," Chark said. "The guys that went ahead of me were already ranked ahead of me. I feel like the Senior Bowl helped me go in front of the guys that I went in front of."
The Jaguars had Chark on their radar before the Senior Bowl showcase. Jacksonville targeted him early in the draft process.
“No, we had grades pretty high on him all year," Caldwell said. "He’s a guy our scouts liked in the fall and led to the Senior Bowl and he had a nice week there, and you all saw him at the Combine from the athletic standpoint.”
The Jaguars plan to use Chark's athletic assets in several areas. While he may not be a featured performer on offense as a rookie, Chark's speed will be greatly relied upon during his special teams snaps.
The 21-year-old rookie wants to contribute right away and the game's third phase would seemingly be the most logical platform for instant access to playing time.
“As a rookie, I am going to come in and try my best to just ball," Chark said.
"Wherever the coaches see me, that is where I plan on going, no matter if it is special teams or offense. I plan on making an impact, an immediate impact somewhere on that field. That is my whole goal. That is what I plan to do. That is what I am going to do. I am not going to be told no.”
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter at @Mike_E_Kaye.