Mock Draft Roundup: Maurice Jones-Drew Projects a Round One Trade for Jaguars
'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.
The Jaguars filled a few needs in free agency, such as inside and outside linebacker, tight end, and defensive line depth, but they still have a few clear holes on the roster that will need to be addressed in April.
In a mock draft released this week by NFL Network analyst and former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, an interesting scenario was proposed in which the Jaguars make an aggressive move to land a top-tier prospect to fill arguably the team's greatest need.
How did Jones-Drew map out the Jaguars' first round, and does it seem like a logical possibility for the draft to play out this way? We examined the picks to determine the answer.
No. 7: Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah. Jaguars trade with Panthers.
The Jags nab the best cover corner in the draft to replace Jalen Ramsey. He'll give receivers within the division fits with his great feet, patient play and ability to perform well in man or zone coverage," Jones-Drew wrote.
Jones-Drew didn't include the compensation the Jaguars would give the Panthers in this scenario, but it would most likely involve multiple picks after the third round or a single second-round selection considering the history of past draft trades. With the Jaguars owning 12 draft picks, they certainly have the flexibility to be aggressive in an effort to move up for a player.
One of the greatest needs on the Jaguars' roster currently is outside cornerback depth. Tre Herndon is a starting-caliber cover man and D.J. Hayden is a good nickel corner, but the Jaguars still need a second starter on the outside since A.J. Bouye was traded to the Denver Broncos earlier in March.
Okudah is an ideal outside cornerback thanks to his rare blend of size, length, athletics, and cover skills. He isn't as physically dominant as Jalen Ramsey was when he entered the NFL in 2016, but there is a legit argument to be made that he is a better cover man than Ramsey was when he left FSU.
The prospects of Okudah slipping this far in the draft are slim, but it could happen if there is a run on quarterbacks and a team falls head over heels for defensive tackle Derrick Brown. If Okudah does somehow get past the New York Giants at No. 4, then the Jaguars should start working the phones in an attempt to land the elite cornerback.
If the Jaguars landed Okudah, he could instantly slide into a starting role in Todd Wash's defense. He has the size to thrive in press coverage while the instincts and ball skills to be a factor in zone coverages, a good fit for the Jaguars' Cover 3 heavy scheme.
No. 20: Alabama DL Raekwon Davis.
"The Calais Campbell clone steps in to be a dominant force for Jacksonville's interior. His length makes him strong at the point of attack," Jones-Drew wrote.
Raekwon Davis is a hulking presence on the defensive line (6-foot-6, 311-pounds) who can play either interior defensive line spot or the 'big end' role in Wash's 4-3 front. Calling him a Calais Campbell clone is a bit of a stretch because he doesn't project as a top-tier pass-rusher like Campbell is, but his fit in the Jaguars' defense makes sense.
In terms of stopping the run, Davis is one of the best defensive players in the entire class. He has the size, length, and strength to anchor at the point of attack against either single blocks or when two-gapping, and his presence could free up players such as Myles Jack and Joe Schobert to make more plays.
But is a run defending interior defensive lineman who doesn't have a high pass-rush potential worth the No. 20 pick? That is the question here, and it is amplified by the fact that Jones-Drew passed on players such as offensive tackle Josh Jones, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos.
Davis is a good scheme fit for the Jaguars, but it is a fair question to ask if the Jaguars could get a player that offers similar traits to Davis at a lower price. If the Jaguars feel they could unlock his potential to get after the quarterback, however, then Davis could make a lot of sense at No. 20.
