contributed by Mike Yazigi
Twitter: @Mike_Yazigi94
CJ Henderson – Cornerback – University of Florida (Round 1: Pick 9)
CJ Henderson was ranked by many scouts and draft insiders as the second ranked cornerback in this year’s class behind former Ohio State, now Detroit Lion, corner Jeff Okudah. Others had Henderson as their top corner in the class. The Jaguars had a massive need at the position after the regular season concluded after trading away disgruntled star Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams mid-season for two first round picks over the next two drafts. That hole got even bigger when the front office also traded away another starting corner in A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos for a fourth –round pick in this year’s draft. The Jaguars needed to address the position through the draft and drafted Henderson with the 9th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Henderson will be expected to make an immediate impact as he will become the number one corner. Henderson was an excellent player for the local Florida Gators throughout his career. He gained many honors during his time in nearby Gainesville. He was named Freshman All-SEC, second team All-SEC his sophomore year, and was a selection for first-team All-SEC his junior and final year at UF. Henderson is a lot like Ramsey, who was the last cornerback that the Jaguars selected in the first round, but isn’t a headache like his predecessor. Henderson is an extremely athletic corner and has excellent coverage downfield. He has the quickness and ability to jump a throw and make the quarterback turn it over if the quarterback keeps his eyes on the receiver Henderson is covering. Henderson, like Ramsey, is not afraid to help in run support, which the Jaguars need. He does have a glaring weakness though. He has had issues tackling when his assistance is needed, but his coverage skills are unmatched. He has a very high ceiling, and will make an immediate impact for the team from Day 1.
K’Lavon Chaisson – EDGE – Louisiana State University (LSU) (R1:P20)
The Jaguars were able to select here thanks to the Jalen Ramsey trade mentioned earlier. K’Lavon Chaisson was ranked by a high percentage of scouts and draft insiders as the second best edge pass rusher in this draft, behind Chase Young. Chaisson is someone who you want on your team as he is someone that can not only get after the quarterback, but also can be a key contributor in stopping the run. But guess what? That’s not all that he can do. He can also drop back in coverage and help out in the passing game. Chaisson has high praise for himself, as he stated in an interview, “I’m actually the most valuable player in this draft, when it comes to it. We all know that. “Strong words from the former LSU standout. Chaisson is someone that will immediately help the Jaguars on defense, especially with the uncertain future of unhappy pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who has publicly demanded a trade out of Jacksonville since early March. Pairing Chaisson with 2019 first round pick Josh Allen, whom Chaisson is already great friends with, is something to look forward to in the 2020 season and beyond. Chaisson has some great ability as a pass rusher and is someone that will wreak havoc in the backfield, even if he does not get the stats that everyone looks at in terms of production (ie: sacks). I expect Chaisson to deliver immediate impact to the defensive line and will be a part of a pass rushing duo for years to come along with Allen. But every player has a weakness, and to me, he does seem to get overwhelmed when it comes to offensive linemen using pull blocks where the guard pulls outside and blocks the edge for the running back to develop a hole to run through. If he can overcome that, then I believe Chaisson will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.
Laviska Shenault – Wide Receiver – Colorado (R2:P42)
Laviska Shenault was one of the top receivers in the country in 2018, allowing him to earn first-team All-Pac-12 that season. He ranked fourth in the country that season with 112.3 receiving yards and 58% of his career receiving yards came after the contact (YAC). That stat is absolutely mind boggling to me. Shenault is a receiver that loves catching the ball in an open-field and will do magical things once he gets out in space. He also is a receiver that is not afraid to go up and get a 50/50 ball, even though he is on the smaller end for a receiver. He is 6’1” 227 lbs, which some may say resemble more of a running back. Although he has got a thicker build, he still has the speed to get open against opposing secondaries. Shenault has great hands and once the ball is in his hands, look out. Head coach Doug Marrone and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden have to find a way to get Shenault out in space as he can impact the game in a positive way. He also is not afraid to take some hits. However, taking those hits impacted him during his career at Colorado. He had surgeries on his labrum and his toe before the 2019 season. If he can stay healthy for the Jaguars, look for receivers coach Keenan McCardell to work his coaching magic on him.
Davon Hamilton – Defensive Tackle – Ohio State (R3:P73)
Davon Hamilton was a reach in my opinion. There were better options available, but I understand why general manager Dave Caldwell selected Hamilton. The Jaguars traded away their captain Calais Campbell to the Ravens for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and had to find someone to help plug up the middle somewhat like Campbell did. No one you draft in the third round will be able to replace what Campbell did for this organization, but Hamilton is a good player to try. Hamilton was someone who the organization could have drafted in the next round, as he was ranked in the mid 100’s according to some big boards out there. Regardless, the Jaguars addressed a need at interior defensive line, and Hamilton is a run-stopping defensive tackle that can also push the pocket back to the quarterback. A stat about Hamilton that is mind-blowing is that about 32% of his career tackles (37.5 in 2019) were for a loss. That is some insane ability to get behind the line and cause a defensive advantage. I do expect Hamilton to be someone who is used on a rotational basis and not a consistent player due to the fact that he is someone that will mainly be used in running situations and very rare passing situations. He does have an issue getting to the quarterback, but will help others get to the quarterback (see Chase Young at Ohio State).
Ben Bartch – Tackle – St. John’s (Minnesota) (R4:P116)
Ben Bartch was a tight end who put on 75 lbs of weight so that he could get more playing time as an offensive lineman. Since he played tight end, he is extremely athletic and has the potential to be a starting tackle. However, due to the lack of experience at tackle in college, Bartch looks to be someone that needs to be developed. Bartch also went to a school at the Division III level, so the talent competition that he will have to face on a daily basis is something to consider with Bartch’s development. Don’t expect Bartch to play much if all this upcoming year. But if he does the Jaguar offensive line got hit with the injury bug, so what else would be new? Also if you haven’t seen his smoothies, here it is. Try at your own risk.
Josiah Scott – Cornerback – Michigan State (R4:P137)
The Jaguars acquired this draft pick when they traded the afore mentioned A.J. Bouye to Denver. With this selection, the organization selected a cornerback in Josiah Scott to help the depth that the Jaguars desperately needed. Scott is a corner that can pretty much play any type of coverage needed, and is someone that has great speed. He can keep up with any receiver. However, a big concern that Scott brings is durability. He missed half of the 2018 season due to a meniscus surgery and also missed a few games in 2019. He also is a little undersized, as he comes in at 5’9” 185 lbs. Scott matching up with bigger receivers could be an issue (ie: 50/50 balls). Many draft scouts believe that he should line up at the nickel corner position, so look for him to rotate with nickel corner DJ Hayden.
Shaquille Quarterman – Linebacker – University of Miami (R4:P140)
The Jaguars acquired this fourth round pick from the Chicago Bears in exchange for quarterback Nick Foles, who was a disaster of a signing by the Jaguars in the 2019 offseason. Quarterman is someone you want to root for. Not only did he go to Miami down south, he actually was born and raised here in Jacksonville, FL and went to Oakleaf high school. He was one of the nation’s top linebackers coming out of high school. Quarterman was a four-year starter at UM and produced pretty well for the Hurricanes in those four years, accumulating 356 tackles with 46.5 for loss, and accumulated 13 sacks. His number one strength is the fact that he is always involved in plays and is very durable as he never missed a start in college. He is also very consistent in terms of tackling. His weakness is that he does tend to over-commit on plays and sometimes can get blocked quickly. Due to his tackling ability and strength though, expect him to occasionally see the field on defense, but also expect him to start his career on special teams as he looks to make a name for himself. Root for him Duval, as he is one of our own!
Daniel Thomas – Safety – Auburn (R5:P157)
The Jaguars received this pick when they traded away Calais Campbell to Baltimore. The Jaguars had to repair the defense and after addressing the defensive line with two of their first four, the team wanted to continue to address the back seven. They drafted Daniel Thomas, who played safety for Auburn. Thomas was second on the team in tackles and had great games against LSU, Georgia, and Minnesota this past year. He is someone that has excellent speed and can defend against the run. He is a very athletic player and can compete for a starting job. Expect him to start as a special teamer, but could be asked to play in some defensive schemes as the safety for the defense. A weakness to monitor for Thomas is his ability to stay focused. He takes chances for the big play, when in reality he should stay safe and make the sound football decision. One can’t blame him for trying to make a play, but too many bad decisions will cost one a career.
Collin Johnson – Wide Receiver – University of Texas (R5:P165)
This pick was acquired when the Jaguars traded away Dante Fowler Jr. back in the 2018 season. If there is a pick that could be considered a steal, it would be this one. Collin Johnson is a bigger receiver and is someone that has great size and can go up and get the football. He definitely has a chance to create some mismatches for corners smaller than him, as Johnson is 6’6”. Johnson has great hands and make the difficult catches look easy. Now, with bigger receivers, they usually don’t display great speed. Johnson is another one of these cases. Johnson doesn’t look like he will break away in a footrace, but will box one out for a catch. Johnson also needs to improve on his route running, but McCardell will work with him and Shenault on that. Johnson and Shenault complement each other so well with their differing play styles, but will also help out DJ Chark. Expect Johnson to either be on special teams or start the year on the practice squad.
Jake Luton – Quarterback – Oregon State University (R6:P189)
The backup quarterback depth behind Gardner Minshew is not looking great. As of the draft, it was just Josh Dobbs. The Jaguars kind of addressed it by drafting Jake Luton in the sixth round. Don’t expect Luton to start a game barring a disastrous injury ridden season for the quarterbacks. Luton is an accurate quarterback, with only seven interceptions thrown the last two seasons, compared to 38 touchdowns. He is someone that cannot throw on the move, which with how often Minshew was on the run last year, Luton would struggle mightily. Practice squad for Luton, or constant inactive on game-days.
Tyler Davis – Tight End – Georgia Tech (R6:P206)
Tyler Davis was a transfer from UCONN to Georgia Tech his senior year. It’s hard to read what Davis did while at Georgia Tech because Georgia Tech went to a pro-style offense this past season for the first time after many years of running the triple option offense. Davis, from what scouts say, is a good pass and run blocker from his time at UCONN. Special teams is the expectation for Davis, barring an injury bug to the crowded tight end room in TIAA Bank Field.
Chris Claybrooks – Cornerback – University of Memphis (R7:P223)
The 12th and final pick of this draft class by the Jaguars is a lot like the first pick. The Jaguars went cornerback with the selection of Claybrooks. Claybrooks is a smaller corner who played receiver in his community college days from 2016-2018. He transferred to Memphis in 2018, and was immediately put at corner. Claybrooks did get hurt early in the 2019 season, which caused him to miss a lot of the season. His biggest strength might be his speed, as he was an excellent return specialist in community college and at Memphis. His weakness, other than size, would have to be the lack of experience at the position. Expect him to be on the practice squad come the regular season, unless he can be an excellent specialist in the return game.
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