How Did the Jaguars Spend the Picks They Received From Pre-2020 Draft Trades?
From October 2018 through March 2020, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a firesale of sorts. In an effort to reshape the roster, and the culture, for the long-term, the Jaguars traded away a number of players who were seen as building blocks for the future or as faces of the present-day team.
With these moves, and a few other trades during the 2019 NFL Draft, the Jaguars were able to equip themselves with a franchise-record 12 picks in last week's draft. Compared to the standard seven picks each team gets, this was a noteworthy development for a team with holes throughout its roster.
- On Oct. 30, 2018, the Jaguars traded defensive end Dante Fowler to the Los Angeles Rams, just four years after selecting him No. 3 overall. In return, the Jaguars got Los Angeles’ 2019 third-round draft pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick . The Jaguars selected linebacker Quincy Williams with the 2019 third-round pick.
- On April 27, 2019, the Jaguars traded a seventh (236)-round pick to Seattle for the Seahawks sixth-round 2020 draft pick.
- On Oct. 15, 2019, the Jaguars traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Rams for a 2020 first-round pick (20), 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round selection.
- On March 18, 2020, the Jaguars traded cornerback A.J. Bouye to Denver for Broncos fourth (137)- round 2020 draft choice.
- On March 19, 2020, the Jaguars traded Calais Campbell to Baltimore for Ravens' fifth (157)-round 2020 draft choice.
- On March 30, 2020, the Jaguars traded quarterback Nick Foles to Chicago for Bears fourth(140)- round 2020 draft choice.
Thanks to the Jaguars wheeling and dealing of players and picks, they had an unprecedented amount of selections last week. But how did they use those picks? Who did they get onto their roster as a result of flipping Campbell, Bouye, and others? We take a look at the results of each trade to give a comprehensive look at how the Jaguars spent the picks they received prior to the 2020 draft.
Round 1, No 20: Jaguars turn Jalen Ramsey trade into K'Lavon Chaisson pick
The Jaguars, of course, still have two more picks from the blockbuster Ramsey trade compensation. But so far, they have turned the jettisoning of the former face of the franchise into a talented and emerging pass-rusher in the form of LSU's K'Lavon Chaisson.
"He’s a tremendous, tremendous team-guy. Six-three, 265 pounds. We feel like he can bring a presence on the edge," general manager Dave Caldwell said after the Jaguars selected Chaisson. "He can set the edge as a very good run defender. You see him against big SEC tackles, locking guys out. We’ll play him probably in a 2-point stance and then he’ll be our rusher opposite of Josh (Allen) and Yannick (Ngakoue) and we’ll go from there.”
Chaisson battled injuries and inconsistencies at LSU, but he was No. 2 in the SEC in tackles for loss in 2019 with 14 and also recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks, with most of his best performances coming against top competition. Jacksonville will clearly be hoping he can continue his development alongside Josh Allen, potentially giving the Jaguars a pair of bookends to build around.
Round 4, No. 137: Jaguars turn A.J. Bouye trade into Josiah Scott pick
Out goes one cornerback, in comes another. Bouye was a solid outside cornerback for Jacksonville for three seasons, and even shadowed No. 1 wide receivers for parts of 2019 following the Ramsey trade, but the Jaguars dealt him to Denver to clear some cap space. In his place, the Jaguars drafted Josiah Scott, an undersized but athletic cornerback from Michigan State.
"He's really athletic. He’s got really good quickness and speed. He ran well at the combine, so that kind of verified what we saw on the film. Productive, he’s really tough. He’s not the biggest kid, but he’s tough. We see him competing for a nickel role and then competing on special teams," said Jaguars director of college scouting Mark Ellenz after they selected Scott.
While Scott is the smallest cornerback the Jaguars have drafted under Caldwell at 5-foot-9, he has plenty of traits to indicate he could be a future long-term option at the nickel position. D.J. Hayden mans the role currently, but he is entering the final year of his contract.
Round 4, No. 140: Jaguars turn Nick Foles trade into Shaquille Quarterman
Nick Foles had a rocky one-year tenure with the Jaguars. From injuries, to poor play, a benching for Gardner Minshew II, it just seemed as if nothing was going right and this specific pairing of quarterback and team wasn't going to work. Surprisingly, the Jaguars were able to unload Foles' large deal on the Bears, and in his place, they took Miami linebacker Shaquille Quarterman.
"This kid's a four-year starter, productive, smart, tough, all-about-ball, alpha male, leader, locker room guy. Kind of a guy you don’t mess with there, he’s been running the show since a freshman," Ellenz said after the Quarterman selection.
Quarterman will likely serve as middle linebacker depth behind free agent signee Joe Schobert early on his career, as well as give the Jaguars another option for the specials teams units. Turning Foles, who was never going to start for the Jaguars into 2020, into solid depth at linebacker is a solid move all things considered.
Round 5, No. 157: Jaguars turn Calais Cambell trade into Daniel Thomas
The most surprising trade of any of the Jaguars' deals, Jacksonville parted ways with veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell as a move to clear more salary cap space. The move helped the Jaguars land players like Schobert, Tyler Eifert, and Rodney Gunter, but it also opened the door for them to select Auburn safety Daniel Thomas.
Thomas is unlikely to start in 2020 but could instead fight for the No. 3 safety role, a spot on the roster that was in dire shape entering the draft. Getting a fifth-round pick for Campbell isn't exactly a fair trade, but the Jaguars turned it into depth on both sides of the ball.
Round 5, No. 165: Jaguars turn Dante Fowler trade into Collin Johnson
The Jaguars already got Quincy Williams from the Fowler trade, and last week they completed the deal by selecting Texas wide receiver Collin Johnson. Johnson, 6-foot-6, is a power forward at the receiver position who wins by attacking the ball in the air and dominating smaller cornerbacks at the catch point.
"It's different than what we have; he's a guy that's 6-6, 222 pounds, he can run real well, just a different element," head coach Doug Marrone said after the Jaguars selected Johnson. "Now when you look across the board we have different types and it's always good to have that and obviously we are looking for him to come in here and perform."
Johnson may have a hard time finding the field early due to DJ Chark, Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, and Laviska Shenault, but his skill set gives him a chance to carve out at least a niche role.
Round 6, No. 206: Jaguars turn Seahawks trade into Tyler Davis
The trade back the Jaguars completed with Seattle during 2019 resulted in them adding a backup tight end in Georgia Tech tight end Tyler Davis. Davis didn't have a lot of production in his lone season at Georgia Tech, but he has an athletic background thanks to his time at quarterback and is a willing blocker.
