Mock Draft Roundup: McShay Shores Up Jaguars’ Trenches in Latest Mock

With Super Bowl LIV and the 2019 season officially in the rearview mirror, attention can be fully turned to the offseason. From free agency to the draft, teams now have to consider how they will retool their teams to win in 2020.

In correspondence, expect more mock drafts to be released as the draft order is officially set and the games are over. This includes mocks from the ESPN duo of Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, two of the most noteworthy draft analysts out there.

A few weeks ago, Kiper released his first mock draft of the offseason and slotted South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to the Jaguars at ninth overall, and then Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet at 20th overall.

And on Tuesday, McShay has dropped a mock draft that focuses on similar needs via ESPN+. How different did McShay attack the Jaguars' needs compared to Kiper? He went in a different direction with the team's second pick, but he was in agreement with Kiper at ninth overall.

No. 9: South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw

"If you don't know about Kinlaw yet, do yourself a favor and go watch some highlights from his two days of Senior Day workouts. He is an absolute physical freak with the versatility to play on the interior or off the edge, and he has the power to walk offensive linemen back into the quarterback," McShay wrote. "The Jaguars missed on Taven Bryan when they took him in the first round in 2018, and they might not be able to keep Yannick Ngakoue in northeast Florida next season. Putting Kinlaw next to last year's top-10 pick, Josh Allen, would help lighten the loss of Ngakoue and shore up a run defense that was the fifth worst in 2019 (139.3 yards per game)."

Kinlaw makes a lot of sense for the Jaguars with their first selection. They badly need a playmaker on the interior defensive line, and Kinlaw isn't a player who is pigeonholed to one position; he can play any of them. We wrote yesterday about how well Kinlaw compares to Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, and if he could turn into a similar player then this would be a home run pick for Jacksonville.

It is hard to envision the Jaguars not going defensive with their first pick unless Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas slips to them. They simply have too many needs at all three levels of the defense, and most of the top players in this year's class align with those needs as opposed to what the Jaguars need on offense.

Kinlaw could step in for the Jaguars' defense right away in base formations as a nose tackle and then stay on the field on passing downs. If the Jaguars keep Calais Campbell, then an interior pass-rushing duo of Kinlaw and Campbell would be potentially lethal.

No. 20: USC OT Austin Jackson

"Kinlaw cleans up the defensive front, but the offensive side of the trenches warrants a look, too. The Jaguars struck gold when they caught the sliding Jawaan Taylor early in the second round last year, and they shouldn't be done working on the unit," McShay wrote. "The desperate need for more help there means they'd be OK with reaching for Jackson, who is my No. 46 prospect. The 6-foot-6 junior is raw, but if given some time to develop, he can contribute in pass protection for whomever Doug Marrone starts under center. "

It would make perfect sense for the Jaguars to invest in the offensive line early on in the 2020 NFL Draft. Left tackle Cam Robinson has been up and down as a pass-protector since being selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and the Jaguars could theoretically improve two different positions by sliding Robinson inside to guard and drafting a left tackle.

Austin Jackson would be a somewhat puzzling move, though. He is a raw offensive tackle who has the physical tools to succeed at the NFL level but isn't exactly close to ready to start on the blindside. McShay himself admits Jackson is a reach.

Drafting Jackson would be an easier pill to swallow on Day 2, but it would be a questionable move with the 20th overall pick. He is the ultimate risk-reward prospect, and it remains to be seen if head coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell would be willing to have the patience with a young left tackle during a must-win year.

Add us as a preferred source on Google