The NFL Draft is quickly approaching, whether COVID-19 likes it or not. The NFL has held strong on its dates and has recently stated that video game company Electronic Arts will be hosting a virtual draft for the prospects and teams.
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These are certainly different times.
What has stayed the same, however, is the Jags’ need for help on both sides of the ball. In the first round, most believe that Jacksonville will draft two of four key positions of need, those being offensive line, defensive line, wide receiver, and cornerback.
Obviously, what they do with the ninth selection will affect pick No. 20, but both selections will be one of those four positions, so it’s important for fans to get accustomed to the players at those key positions.
Here are three players the Jaguars should draft with the 20th overall selection:
CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
Kristian Fulton was one of the very first prospects that I did a spotlight on for the Jaguars, all the way back in October. He’s simply one of the best players at a position of need for Jacksonville. He’s silky smooth and is one of the more developed players at corner in this year’s draft. For those worried about their corners getting burned, that’s rarely the case for Fulton as he is as sticky as they come.
In 2019 much of the talk regarding Louisiana State’s defense was about freshman cornerback Derek Stingly Jr. and for good reason. That said, let’s not take away from Fulton’s spectacular final season, leading Louisiana State to a National Championship.
It’s uncertain of how high exactly Fulton will go but if he is there at No. 20, I would be “virtually” sprinting the card up to the podium to make this selection. It’s a no-brainer and one the Jaguars would surely not regret.
WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
Another LSU player? Yup, and this one’s equally as good.
Justin Jefferson’s 2019 was very similar to Kristian Fulton. Both are super solid prospects with high upside and similarly high floors to match, however, both were outshined by younger players in their final seasons in Baton Rouge. For Fulton, it was Stingley, for Jefferson, it was Ja’Marr Chase.
Jefferson is a super crafty route-runner. Some had worries regarding his athleticism but luckily Jefferson answered those questions when he put on a show in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Tiger posted a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.69 out of 10, planting a flag in the ground as one of the draft’s best athletes.
As of this moment, I don’t see Jacksonville attacking the corner position with the ninth overall selection. The team seems to generally like their receiving group and in such a deep class at that position, it may be smart to wait. However, I think Jefferson at No. 20 makes a ton of sense. He’s a crafty route-runner and would give Gardner Minshew II that short to intermediate target that this team has lacked.
Basically, he’d be the new Allen Robinson for the Jags, and if Dave Caldwell feels the same way, he could be their guy with their second first-round selection.
CB Jeff Gladney, TCU
While I may have Fulton rated higher as a corner, Texas Christian’s Jeff Gladney is no slouch on the turf. Gladney plays tough and made a name for himself for being a sticky cover corner who played in the often-mocked Big 12 Conference.
He went toe-to-toe with some of the nation’s best receivers like CeeDee Lamb, Denzel Mims, and Collin Johnson and performed admirably. What’s even more impressive is the fact that he held his own against the aforementioned receivers as a “smaller” corner (5-foot-10, 191 pounds).
Gladney brings incredible speed to the table, posting a 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. However, his play-speed is even faster, displaying elite quickness for the position. He has a scrappy attitude and brings that swagger that every scout loves in a cornerback (see Jaire Alexander’s college film).
I somewhat question the fit as the Jaguars seem to love to run a Cover-3 defense, but he is just too good of a player to pass up at 20 if the aforementioned prospects are off the table. Draft good players and the rest will figure itself out. He’s got just the right amount of attitude to go along with his impeccable athletic traits for Caldwell and company to fall in love with.
