2020 NFL Draft: Why the Jaguars Should Consider Jeff Okudah Over a DT at Ninth Overall if Given the Chance

Throughout the course of the 2019 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars constantly failed to live up to expectations on the defensive side of the ball. And when outsiders examined why the defense faltered so much only two years after establishing itself as one of the NFL's elite units, most pointed to one thing: run defense.

It is clear why this has been such a hot button issue when discussing the Jaguars' defense. They allowed 100 rushing yards or more in all but five games and allowed five games with 190 rushing yards or more, including a staggering four 200-yard plus games.

Once Marcell Dareus went down for the season with a core muscle injury after Week 7, the Jaguars' run defense torpedoed and nothing the Jaguars tried to do to stop the bleeding worked. They tried lineup changes, specific gameplans, and everything else in their power, but nothing worked.

With Dareus a potential cap-casualty in 2020, and with the Jaguars' defensive tackle depth thin behind him, a run-stuffing interior lineman needs to be high on the Jaguars' list of priorities this offseason.

This has made defensive tackle a common destination for defensive tackles at ninth overall in mock drafts, if not the most common destination. There is no arguing the merits of slotting talented players such as Auburn's Derrick Brown or South Carolina's Javon Kinlaw to the Jaguars with their early first-round selection.

But does this mean the Jaguars should be locked into taking an interior lineman no matter what? Not quite. Especially not in one specific scenario — if Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah is still on the board when the Jaguars are on the clock at ninth overall.

Jacksonville's current need at cornerback isn't as desperate as their need for a defensive lineman, but that isn't how top-10 picks should typically be approached. Last year, the Jaguars had bigger needs at tight end and right tackle compared to edge rusher but opted to take defensive end Josh Allen from the University of Kentucky at seventh overall instead of players such as Jonah Williams or T.J. Hockenson. This was purely a best player available pick, and it paid off immediately.

Could the same scenario play out this April, with the Jaguars staring at players at a clear position of need as well as a top player at a premium position? Brown is in competition with Okudah for being the third-best player in the class (behind Joe Burrow and Chase Young), but cornerbacks are considerably more valuable in today's NFL than an interior defensive lineman.

That isn't to say defensive tackles are not crucial to winning. Jacksonville's 2019, as well as each team in Super Bowl LIV, with star interior linemen Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, and Chris Jones. But in a division with Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, T.Y. Hilton, and A.J. Brown, coverage players have to be paramount.

The counter-argument could, of course, be that cornerbacks individually don't always morph a defense alone. We have seen it before, such as with Darrelle Revis and Jalen Ramsey, where elite cornerbacks let defenses be more flexible and able to contain top threats, but the recent history of cornerbacks changing defenses from day one is mixed.

Denzel Ward, the highest-selected cornerback since the Jaguars drafted Ramsey fifth overall, is a good player but hasn't been able to mask many of Cleveland's deficiencies. Eli Apple and Vernon Hargreaves were each top-11 picks but ended up failing to live up to expectations.

On the other hand, first-round cornerbacks like Marshon Lattimore, Marlon Humphrey, and Jaire Alexander have helped transform defenses. While Jacksonville still currently has A.J. Bouye and Tre Herndon in the fold, with each being a solid player, but Okudah has the potential to be a different breed. He could take on the role vacated by Ramsey's toxic departure, that of the Jaguars top counter-attack to the likes of Hopkins, Hilton, Brown, and the other elite wide receivers in the NFL.

Of course, Jacksonville's record with Ramsey as a cornerstone of the defense wasn't exactly reflective of his talents. The Jaguars had only one season with more than five wins with Ramsey in Jacksonville, leading to the question of how much did he really impact the Jaguars' defense.

But this isn't a strike against the cornerback position. The Jaguars were worse without Ramsey in 2019. That is a fact. Instead, it is a strike against how much non-quarterback positions can impact 16-game seasons. Had Jacksonville not started Blake Bortles for the majority of Ramsey's tenure, maybe we are instead talking about how positive of a record the Jaguars had with the cornerback.

At the end of the day, the Jaguars shouldn't pass on Okudah if given the chance simply because their defense is bad against the run. If they elect to take players like Brown or Kinlaw instead of the talented corner, it should be because they genuinely believe those are the best players on the board and/or have more potential.

Picking between any of these players would never be easy. And the fact is, some or all of these players may not even be on the board when the Jaguars pick. But for now, it wouldn't be wise to pigeonhole the Jaguars first pick to one position just because of the failures of the run defense a year ago. For that reason, the Jaguars should give Okudah serious consideration if they end up having the opportunity to draft him, no matter which defensive tackle is available.

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