A Look at Recently Declared NFL Draft Prospects And How they Could Fit with the Jaguars

With the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 college football season, and really all of fall sports, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, college football players throughout the nation have had to face incredibly difficult decisions on what steps to take.

So far, over 30 players have made the tough but understandable decisions to opt out of the 2020 college football season. Among that group is a few players who are among college football's truly elite talents, with six key players deciding to focus on preparing for next year's draft as opposed to playing their final college season in the midst of a pandemic.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars holding two first round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft (with one coming from the Los Angeles Rams), they are one team that will be instantly impacted by these players declaring. With each player a potential first-round pick, the Jaguars will have to judge their past tape and production when considering them on April 29, 2021. They won't have the ability to judge the impact the player made in the previous fall, much like they had with Josh Allen, K'Lavon Chaisson and countless other picks.

In an early look ahead, we take a peek at each of these prospects games and how they fit with the Jaguars once the 2020 season concludes. There is, of course, an entire NFL season still to be potentially played before focus shifts toward the draft completely, but it is still a worthwhile exercise to take a look into each of these prospects. NFL front offices from all over the league likely already has, after all.

So, how do each of these prospects fit with the 2021 Jaguars? We argue their cases below.

Penn State LB Micah Parsons

Arguably the top defender in the nation, Micah Parsons officially opted out on Aug. 6 and became maybe the biggest name to announce his intentions to turn his attention toward the draft. On tape, Parsons looks like the prototypical linebacker for today's NFL. He has size (6-foot-3, 245-pounds), length, unreal athleticism and can make an impact against the run, in pass coverage, and as a blitzer. Simply put, Parsons is the complete package at linebacker. Had he played in 2020 (pending a season even taking place), he likely would have solidified himself as the best linebacker prospect in several years.

After becoming the first-ever Penn State defender to ever lead the team in tackles as a freshman, Parsons had a standout 2019 season in which he recorded 109 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass deflections, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

In terms of his fit with the Jaguars, however, it is hard even this far away from the draft to see the Jaguars making much sense as a landing spot. Jacksonville has two of the league's highest-paid linebackers in Myles Jack and Joe Schobert, and it is hard seeing Jacksonville taking a linebacker as high as Parsons will likely go when they have the depth they already have at the position.

#PennState LB Micah Parsons (6-foot-3, 244) —

Disruptive LB with physical/athletic traits. Very good instincts in zone coverage. Plays downhill to the ball vs. the run. Blitz ability shows up on tape. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/npQXL1iv3q
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) August 6, 2020

Miami DL Greg Rousseau

A redshirt freshman in 2019 after an ankle injury ended his freshman season, Greg Rousseau was one of college football's most productive defensive linemen last season. Second in the nation in sacks with 15.5 (behind only No. 2 overall pick Chase Young), along with recording 19.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, Rousseau was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and named First-Team All-ACC. He announced his decision to opt out on Aug. 6.

Rousseau has terrific size, length and strength for the position, but the way he was deployed by Miami was peculiar in 2019. He is built like a prototypical defensive end, but most of his sacks came when he was lined up against guards or centers along the interior.

Would he make sense for the Jaguars in 2021? Even with the uncertainty surrounding Yannick Ngakoue, it would be hard for the Jaguars to justify selecting a defensive end in the first round next season. They have used two of their last three first-round picks on edge defenders in Josh Allen and K'Lavon Chaisson, and that duo is now set to be Jacksonville's future along the edge. They could surely use more depth at the position in the future, but three first-round picks in three seasons at edge defender would be a surprise.

Purdue WR Rondale Moore

One of the most electrifying playmakers college football has seen in recent years, Purdue's Rondale Moore announced his decision to opt out last week after playing in just a handful of games in 2019 due to a hamstring injury. While Moore's 2019 season was mostly a lost one, it doesn't take long to remember the impact he made upon the Boilermakers' offense as a freshman in 2018.

While Moore is lacking in size (5-foot-9, 180-pounds), he makes up for it with game-breaking speed and agility. Primarily a slot receiver during his college career, Moore caught 114 passes for 1,258 yards (11.0 yard per catch average) and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns on just 21 carries. Add in his 42 kick returns for 813 yards (19.4 average) over his collegiate career, and he is a multi-faceted player who is able to make an impact in all phases of the game.

Would Moore make sense for the Jaguars in a year down the road? Considering Jacksonville's slot receiver Dede Westbrook is in the final year of his contract and isn't a lock to return after 2020, it isn't hard to see slot receiver as a need in 2021. Jacksonville has drafted two receivers with second-round picks in the last three drafts, but the last first-round receiver they selected was Justin Blackmon in 2012. The Jaguars will need to add to their offensive arsenal via the first round sooner than later, so it isn't a stretch to say a playmaker like Moore could entice them.

Most forced missed tackles by a WR in a season since 2014:

1. Rondale Moore (2018) - 37pic.twitter.com/mqGniBtRpH
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 6, 2020

Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley

One of the first big names to opt out of the 2020 season, Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley was set to enter this year as arguably the top cornerback in the nation. He led the ACC in pass deflections with 16 last season, displaying traits that every NFL teams covet at cornerback: Length, toughness, athleticism, versatility in man and zone coverage and instinctive play.

In two seasons in Virginia Tech's secondary, Farley recorded six interceptions, 23 pass deflections, 56 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and one defensive touchdown. He earned All-ACC honors in 2019 after a four-interception season, and his stock was only looking to continue to rise entering this fall.

While the Jaguars just took a cornerback with their top pick in 2020 in No. 9 overall pick CJ Henderson, every NFL team needs at leasttwo starting cornerbacks who are able to step in and match up with opposing receivers on a down-to-down basis. Tre Herndon will get a chance to show the Jaguars he can be a reliable starting corner across from Henderson in 2020, but there will always be a premium placed on cornerbacks. If Herndon doesn't lock down the job, the Jaguars could legitimately be in the market for a cornerback in the first round again next year.

Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman

Announcing on Aug. 4 that he would opt out, Rashod Bateman became one of the first impact offensive playmakers to make an early declaration for the 2021 NFL Draft. Bateman was a focal point to Minnesota's supremely successful 2019 season, and he is set to enter the NFL Draft with a resume that will likely make him a top-50 pick.

Bateman set Minnesota freshman records with 51 receptions and 704 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2018. In 2019, Bateman was a semi-finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award and First-Team All-Big Ten thanks to an elite season in which he caught 57 passes for 1,170 yards (20.5 yards per catch) and 11 touchdowns. Simply put, he was one of the best offensive players in all of college football in his final collegiate season.

Bateman is also much more of a traditional wide receiver than Moore. He has more prototypical size at 6-foot-2 and 210-pounds, and he has experience at taking reps on the outside. If the Jaguars want to add Bateman to a wide receiver room that will already feature plenty of size and speed with DJ Chark and Laviska Sheanult, it would likely be slightly overkill since none of them are true slot receivers. If the Jaguars want to take a receiver high in 2021, a space player like Moore makes more sense.

Pitt DT Jalen Twyman

Pitt has already put one elite defensive tackle into the NFL in recent years in Aaron Donald. Could Jalen Twyman follow in Donald's footsteps? It is a high, high bar to reach, but Twyman does have a few things working in his favor thanks to elite physical traits and a 2019 season that saw him dominate.

Last year, Twyman started all 13 games, recording 41 tackles and 10.5 sacks and being named First-Team All-ACC. He likely projects best as a penetrating three-technique due to his size (6-foot-2, 290-pounds) and explosive first step, and he was the first interior player to even lead Pitt's defense in sacks since Donald did so in 2013. Twyman is the first player for Pitt to come close to matching Donald's elite production, a sign of his talent.

If there is any defensive position the Jaguars might need in 2021, it is defensive tackle. The Jaguars will be relying on Taven Bryan to take a big step forward in 2020, but his early career has been defined but unproductivity. The Jaguars do have a 2019 third-round pick at nose tackle in DaVon Hamilton, but no other position group on Jacksonville's defensive roster has more questions than defensive tackle. If the Jaguars want a long-term solution for the middle of their defense, it would be hard to argue against Twyman and his immense talent.