2020 NFL Draft: Jaguars Prospects to Watch in SEC Title Game
When the University of Georgia Bulldogs clash with the Lousiana State University Tigers in today's SEC Championship Game in Atlanta at 4 p.m., there will be an abundance of future NFL players taking the field. Their focus will be on winning Saturday, but there are still Sunday reasons to watch the game, specifically for Jacksonville Jaguars purposes.
Each program is among the elite of the elite and consistently produce top-tier talent each NFL Draft, and this year is no different. So, which players in today's game should Jaguars fans be focusing on from a draft perspective?
OT Andrew Thomas, UGA
Andrew Thomas is the hands-down favorite to be the first offensive tackle off of the board come April, and for good reason. He has dominating size, strength, and length and moves terrific in pass protection for a big man. The third-year starter is as clean of a prospect as you will find and should be a top-six selection because of it. With Jacksonville's offensive line issues, there should be no reason to discount Thomas as an option at this point. He is that good, and has a big stage to show it on Saturday.
S Grant Delpit, LSU
Out of all of the players on this list, Delpit makes the most sense for Jacksonville. The junior safety has had an up and down season after establishing himself as a star early on in his career, but he has the range and ball skills that Jacksonville's defense is desperately missing in its secondary. He is hit or miss against the run, but he has the natural coverage ability to make a name for himself on Sunday's if he can find some consistency. He has a much higher ceiling than current Jaguars safety Jarrod Wilson.
CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
Fulton is one of the best cover corners in the entire 2020 class. He has a few negatives to his game, such as a tendency to rack up penalties and be inconsistent off of the line when pressing wide receivers who are savvy with their releases, but he has the ability to legitimately develop into a No. 1 cornerback if he continues to develop. Look for him to be on an island against Georgia's depleted wide receiver group today, a chance for him to show he can take away an entire side of the field on a big stage.
WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
The 6'3" Jefferson is by no means a burner but he seems to catch everything thrown his direction and has shown an uncanny ability to win from the slot as a big-bodied possession type. He has put up some bonkers numbers in LSU's high-powered passing offense this year, specifically in the red-zone. He has the possession ability and knack for coming up in big moments that the Jaguars' wide receiver group is missing right now, and would be an instant upgrade to Chris Conley in the starting offense, specifically in the red-zone.
DT Tyler Clark, UGA
Just looking at Tyler Clark when he takes a football field, it is clear what value he can bring to a defense. The 6'4", 300-pound defensive lineman is a mountain of a man and he plays like a true immovable force. The versatile senior has been used all over Georgia's defensive front because he has the size and strength to anchor vs. the run but is also good enough with his quickness off of the snap and hand usage to make plays in the backfield. He could be a Calais Campbell replacement and/or understudy due to his ability to be a hybrid heavy end/defensive tackle. His eight tackles for loss in 2019 leads Georgia despite having a plethora of elite defensive talent around him, indicating just how impressive he is.
