Mock Draft Roundup: MMQB Projects Two First Round SEC Defenders to 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 published this week by The Monday Morning Quarterback, Kevin Hanson opted to use the first-round to provide much-needed upgrades to the Jaguars' defense, while also picking up extra picks in the process via a trade down.
How did MMQB 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. 14: South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw.
"Not only have the Jaguars declined the option on Marcell Dareus, but they agreed to trade Calais Campbell to the Ravens for a fifth-round pick. With a blend of size, length, strength and quickness, Kinlaw generated 10 sacks over the past two seasons despite consistently facing double teams," MMQB wrote.
The Jaguars swapped first-round picks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this mock, moving from the No. 9 selection to No. 14. In doing so, the Jaguars missed out on Andrew Thomas, CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Simmons, and Mekhi Becton, but they also picked up a number of picks. Tampa Bay sent the No. 14 and No. 76 picks plus their third-round pick in 2021 to the Jaguars for the No. 9 pick.
Picking up a top-80 pick along with another top-100 pick in the next draft would give the Jaguars 23 draft picks over the next two seasons if they made no other moves, so it would be quite a bit of ammo in exchange for moving down five spots. Despite the Jaguars missing out on a few elite prospects as a result of the trade, they still fill a big need with Javon Kinlaw and actually get better value for him than they would have if they selected him at No. 9.
Kinlaw has the size to play nose tackle in the Jaguars' 4-3 defense, but his game translates best to three-technique as a penetrating defensive tackle who attacks upfield. He isn't a finished product in terms of technique or consistency, but he's a physical freak of nature who can beat blocks with speed, power, length, and agility.
The Jaguars have a number of weaknesses along the defense presently, but the lack of pass-rush is maybe the most concerning. Josh Allen and Dawuane Smoot combined for 16.5 sacks last season, but Taven Bryan has yet to become a consistent producer and Yannick Ngakoue is likely on his way out of Jacksonville, meaning Jacksonville's nickel defensive front looks shaky. Kinlaw could solve this problem early on thanks to his explosion off of the line and ability to beat blockers in a variety of ways.
No. 20: Alabama CB Trevon Diggs.
"With both 2019 outside starting cornerbacks—Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye—no longer on the roster, the Jags will likely use one of their first two or three picks on a cornerback. The younger brother of Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, (Trevon) Diggs has an elite combination of size and length and the former receiver has outstanding ball skills," MMQB wrote.
Jacksonville's lack of depth at the cornerback position has been a hot-button topic all offseason, and the surprising non-signing of Darqueze Dennard only exacerbated the issue. Tre Herndon returns after starting 14 games in a solid sophomore season in 2019, but the rest of the outside cornerback depth is troubling.
Parry Nickerson and Brandon Watson are two unproven corners who have been special teams players up to this point in their careers, while Rashaan Melvin is an aging veteran who is better as depth than as a starting corner. D.J. Hayden has the ability to play on the outside, but what about in three receiver sets when Hayden is playing in the slot?
By adding Diggs, the Jaguars would get a 6-foot-1, 205-pound cornerback who can run with any wide receiver. A former wide receiver himself, Diggs is still learning the ins and the outs of playing cornerback, but the physical talent is obvious.
Diggs could have a bit of a learning curve in his transition to the NFL compared to other cornerbacks in the class, but from a tools standpoint, he looks to be exactly the kind of defensive back the Jaguars would want to add to their secondary.
What are your thoughts on this mock draft haul for the Jaguars? Let us know in a comment below!
