Mock Draft Roundup: Former Scout Boosts Jaguars' Pass Defense in Latest Projection

'Tis the season for mock drafts, a yearly tradition in which media attempt to project how the second-biggest day on the NFL calendar plays out.

As we inch closer and closer to the 2020 NFL Draft on Apr. 23, we will be tracking how other national media outlets are projecting the Jacksonville Jaguars to attack the draft. With two first-round picks for the first time since 1998, the Jaguars are one of the most interesting teams to monitor throughout this offseason, and it is worth examining how different people view the team's needs and how to address them.

Jacksonville owns picks No. 9 and No. 20, with the former a result of their 6-10 record and the latter a result of the team trading Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams for a pair of first-round picks and one later round selection in 2021. With one of the weaker rosters in the AFC, the Jaguars have a number of directions they could take with their early picks that would make sense. It is ultimately hard to argue against more than two to three positions as positions of need for Jacksonville, so expect for mocks to continue to have wide-ranging results.

This week, former NFL player and scout, and current NFL Network analyst, Bucky Brooks released a first-round projection that saw the Jaguars make massive upgrades to their pass defense. Like most, Brooks operated under the guise of wanting to improve the Jaguars' overall defensive talent level, a must for the team after waves of talent have left in recent years.

So, how did Brooks map out the Jaguars' first round, and does it seem like a logical possibility for the draft to play that way? We examined the picks to determine the answer.

No. 9: Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah

"The Jaguars have traded away a pair of elite corners (Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye) in the past several months. Okudah has the physical tools, technical game and mentality to become an All-Pro cornerback early in his career," Brooks wrote.

In terms of best possible scenarios for the Jaguars this April, it is unlikely any top the scenario in which Jeff Okudah is available when the Jaguars are on the board. He is perhaps the best corner prospect since Jalen Ramsey entered the league in 2016 and much like luck played a part in the Jaguars landing Ramsey then, they will likely need luck to reel in Okudah.

Okudah (6-foot-1, 205-pounds) looks like a condor on the field with his incredible size and length (32 5/8-inch arms) for the position. While his 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine a few weeks ago didn't make any jaws drop, he has shown time and time again on the field that he can turn and run with just about anybody.

Okudah's speed, instincts, size, and toughness at the position make him the easy pick for the Jaguars if he is on the board. Stylistically, he actually plays somewhat similar to Bouye, though he is more athletic at a glance. He also has a lot of experience in cover 1 and cover 3 coverage schemes, something Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash commands out of his cornerbacks.

With Bouye and Ramsey no longer in the fold, the Jaguars need a bonafide No. 1 cornerback. Okudah has all the makings of a shutdown corner at the NFL level, and it would be an ideal first round for the Jaguars if he somehow fell to nine. If he is there, then it is an easy pick for general manager Dave Caldwell to make.

No. 20: Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos

"With Yannick Ngakoue saying he's not interested in signing a long-term deal with the Jaguars, the team could add another edge rusher to the stable to upgrade its defensive front," Brooks wrote.

We have made the same point as Brooks in recent weeks. With Yannick Ngakoue having one foot out of the door, the Jaguars need to make it a priority to add a second defensive end to play behind Josh Allen. If they don't, they are at risk of having the one productive unit of their defense last season, the pass rush, regress in a big way.

With Chase Young expected to be picked within the first few selections in the first round, there is no pass-rusher that makes sense for the Jaguars at No. 9 — it just isn't a strong class, especially at the top. But the No. 20 pick would make a lot of sense for the Jaguars to look for an option to replace Ngakoue, with players such as A.J. Epenesa, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Yetur Gross-Matos all realistic options.

Gross-Matos has the size (6-foot-5, 266-pounds) to play 4-3 defensive end and collected 17 sacks over the last two seasons. For a player who would be asked to team up with Allen on the edge but serve primarily as a rotational player, Gross-Matos makes a lot of sense.

The question with this pick would be whether it is worth taking a defensive end over an offensive tackle such as Houston's Josh Jones at No. 20. Each would be able to step in and play a big role from the start, though investing in a tackle could make more long-term sense since the Jaguars already have Allen in the fold but don't have the same luxury at tackle.