Jaguars Offseason Mailbag: Will Someone Be Traded During the Draft?
As the 2020 offseason progresses, JaguarReport will take Jacksonville Jaguars-related questions from social media and give our takes on the most pressing questions fans have about their team. From quarterbacks, to free agency, to the NFL Draft, we address it all.
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This week we discuss how likely it is that the Jaguars trade a player during the draft, what the best-case scenario for Thursday is, and more.
From @TropicofJason : If Tua dropped, would the Jags grab him?
This is a lot of credibility to the notion that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa would be a better option at quarterback in Week 1 than Gardner Minshew II, but his health has been one of the biggest question marks of this entire draft process. Tagovailoa unfortunately had a wrench thrown into his draft stock due to the spread of COVID-19 shutting down the possibility of prospects meeting with teams at their facilities. Teams prefer for their own doctors to look at players, so while Tagovailoa has been given a clean bill of health by third-party doctors, it is understandable for a team to still feel uneasy about selecting him in the top-10. If Tagovailoa had no injury concerns, or if the Jaguars were able to examine him, then it would likely be a strong probability the Jaguars would take him at No. 9 if he was there, but that just isn't the case. I can't see the Jaguars drafting him in any scenario this year.
From @lesper47: Aside from Yannick, do you think any other Jags player could be traded on draft night?
Leonard Fournette is obviously another name to watch but that is too easy of an answer. Instead, I will go with left guard Andrew Norwell. Head coach Doug Marrone gave positive reviews for most of his offensive line earlier this week, but he noticeably was less complimentary of Norwell. The high-priced guard is an OK player but has been a disappointment with the Jaguars, especially as a pass blocker. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Jaguars trade him for a day three pick and replace him with a rookie or Will Richardson.
From @_ffenberg : Which positions have the steepest drop offs from the top tier to the next and could that provide insight into who the Jags select?
I'll go with defensive tackle and tight end. Javon Kinlaw and Derrick Brown are the clear top-two defensive tackles, but the rest of the group behind them are shaky projections due to inconsistent production and strange collegiate roles. There are some good athletes at defensive tackle this year, but not a lot of players who can contribute day one. As for tight end, the only two who really pop out in this year's class are Cole Kmet and Adam Trautman. Most of the tight ends behind them are either poor athletes or have inconsistent tape, which makes the tight end group shallow in terms of impact players. This could force the Jaguars to either draft these positions early on or ignore them in general if they don't nab a top player.
From @ChevyJas : What's the most unbelievable smokescreen/lie you've heard that actually may come to fruition, come draft day?
In the last two weeks, rumors will not stop coming out about C.J. Henderson potentially being drafted before Jeff Okudah. This wouldn't make much sense, if any, because there isn't a single thing Henderson was better than Okudah at on the field in 2019, but often times teams in the top-10 bet on physical tools and athleticism. Henderson had an elite combine performance with a 4.39 40-yard dash and a 37.5-inch vertical jump, while Okudah ran an average 4.48. It would be a mistake for Henderson to be drafted before Okudah in every sense of the word, but teams may put too much stock into the 40 times and make it a reality.
From @p_mar93: On the Jags Thursday zoom call Marrone seemed confident with where the O-Line is. Caldwell mentioned the O-line is deeper than the D-Line this year. With those comments, how long do you think it will be until they draft an OT this year?
While they did say this, Marrone wasn't shy about saying left tackle Cam Robinson had a down year in 2019. Robinson is entering a contract year and the Jaguars may have already made a decision on his long-term future, which could lead to them drafting an offensive tackle early. With how impressive this tackle class is at the top, I think the Jaguars take one with one of their first four picks.
From @Regtwin27: Will Yannick Ngakoue be involved in a first night trade?
I don't believe so. If Ngakoue is traded like he wants to be, I believe it will either happen before the first-round begins on Thursday night or before the second-round begins on Friday. This isn't source-based and instead is just a gut feel, but with how this year's draft is set up, it is hard to envision Dave Caldwell and co. making a blockbuster deal via a video conference call.
From @joacogorina : Which team would make the most sense to trade down and/or up for Jags?
In terms of trade up, I will go with the New York Giants. This would allow the Jaguars to nab one of Tristan Wirfs, Isaiah Simmons, or Okudah, while allowing the Giants to still grab one of the top offensive tackles or Derrick Brown. As for trade down, I think the Broncos make the most sense. They are in the market for both an offensive tackle and wide receiver, and the run at either of those positions could take a key turn at No. 9 due to the needs of the teams who pick immediately after the Jaguars.
From @caleb_meeks: Who would you be happiest with at 9/20 and who would infuriate you at 9/20?
This is a tough one for me to answer because I am not a fan. I am an objective reporter, and truly could not care less what the Jaguars do with their picks: I will write the same way no matter what. With that said, I think a best-case scenario is Tristan Wirfs at No. 9 and A.J. Epenesa at No. 20, while the worst-case is C.J. Henderson at No. 9 and Austin Jackson at No. 20.
From @TheJagTroll: How likely is it they trade back from the #9 spot and do you think that's the best case scenario if Simmons and Okudah aren't there?
I think if Simmons, Wirfs, Okudah, and Brown aren't on the board at No. 9, Caldwell will be doing everything in his power to trade down. In the event the first three aren't there but Brown is, a trade down would still be the best possible situation since the Jaguars would likely be able to still get a starting offensive tackle or receiver if they move down a few spots.
