Mock Draft Roundup: PFF Upgrades Jaguars’ Defense, Wide Receiver Position in Two-Round Projection

Which players did Pro Football Focus give to the Jaguars in their latest two-round mock draft?

'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. It is ultimately hard to argue against more than two to three positions as positions of need for Jacksonville, so expect for mocks to continue to have wide-ranging results.

An interesting scenario for the Jaguars would be the one laid out by Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus in a two-round mock draft published Tuesday. In it, Renner mocks a popular player to the Jaguars at ninth overall and then takes a slightly unique approach to the next two picks.

PFF’s first 2020 two-round Mock Draft🏈

@PFF_Mike:https://t.co/8NTWm1VoNH

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 11, 2020

No. 9: Auburn DT Derrick Brown

"The Jaguars love investing in their defensive line and could use someone with Brown’s run-stopping prowess," Renner wrote. "The undersized Jacksonville linebackers get in trouble when not kept clean, and Brown holds up against double teams as well as any defensive tackle in this class. "

This is an obvious selection and one the Jaguars would theoretically be jumping for joy over in the war room, as long as they value a nose tackle this early in the draft. Brown can do much, much more than simply stuff the run and occupy blocks, and we wrote last week how he makes sense for the Jaguars and is an ideal fit for their need upfront. But it still remains to be seen if the Jaguars think a nose tackle who can win on third-down is worth the ninth overall pick, and we will only get that answer if Brown slips to ninth in April.

If the Jaguars were to nab Brown, he could instantly improve the run defense and fill the Marcell Dareus role at a much cheaper cost than Dareus. This would help the Jaguars not only improve on defense but give them more financial flexibility.

Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, and Georgia left tackle Andrew Thomas were all off the board before the Jaguars picked in Renner's mock, so Brown or South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw would be the two logical options in that scenario. 

No. 20: Clemson WR Tee Higgins

"The Jaguars don’t have a wideout with true possession traits in their rotation at the moment, and no one is better in that area in this draft class than Higgins. His catch radius is massive at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds," Renner said. 

We have written about how the Jaguars would be smart to avoid drafting a wide receiver on the first day of the draft, but if the Jaguars were to take a wide receiver this would likely be the best-case scenario from a value standpoint. It is better than taking a wide receiver at ninth overall and gives the Jaguars a wide receiver archetype they are currently missing on the roster. 

DJ Chark was great as a big-play threat in 2019, but the Jaguars still need a trustworthy possession receiver who can win battles for the ball in the air. Chris Conley and Chark both offer a lot of size, but neither is as massive as Higgins or plays with his possession receiver traits.

Higgins is the ideal big-bodied wideout a team could target to serve as their chains mover to compliment a speedier wideout on the other side of the field. With his hands, size, and ability to box out defensive backs for the ball, he could also provide Gardner Minshew II with a much-needed red zone threat. If the Jaguars want a wide receiver early, not many make more sense than Higgins.

No. 42: California S Ashtyn Davis

"Jacksonville is desperately in need of some speed at the safety position, and Davis certainly provides that," Renner wrote. "He was a former standout for Cal’s track team and also earned an elite 89.3 coverage grade back in 2018. "

We admittedly do not know much about Davis, but it isn't surprising to see Renner select a safety this early for the Jaguars purely from a needs standpoint. Ronnie Harrison had a good year in his sophomore season in 2019, but Jarrod Wilson largely placed a replacement-level. Wilson can start for a team, but he won't be one of any defense's top six to seven players by any means. 

According to SportsReference.com, Davis has seven career interceptions (six in the last two seasons), two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. If Davis could produce turnovers at this rate if starting in place of Wilson, it would obviously improve the defense. On the flip side, it is interesting to see a safety be mocked to the Jaguars before an offensive lineman. You could likely get by with Wilson as a 2020 starter, but it remains to be seen if you can say the same about all five of the Jaguars' offensive linemen.

What do you think about the Jaguars' haul in PFF's latest mock? Let us know in the comments below!