The 2020 NFL Draft will kick off on April 23-25 and teams are scrambling through their draft sheets to find the next great prospects.
While the first round can be full of notable names and predictable landing spots, the later rounds can be full of pleasant surprises to the fans but maybe not so pleasant for the prospects themselves.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will need to do everything possible to make sure that they make the correct picks as they look towards a complete retooling of the roster.
The football world has been accustomed to hearing the names of guys like former Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow and Ohio State linebacker Chase Young, however, here are a few non-household names that the Jaguars can look to target in the later rounds:
Kevin Dotson, OG, Louisiana-Lafayette
The guard out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette could help a struggling spot on the Jaguars’ offensive line. More of a fifth or sixth round target, Dotson came in as PFF’s No. 1 rated guard with a 92.1 grade in 2019 and hasn’t finished lower than No. 19 in his career.
The Jaguars have been flawed at the guard spot with Andrew Norwell having a tough time with run blocking and A.J Cann completely struggling at the position as a whole.
Dotson would make for a nice late-round project as he has the build and upside to be a quality guard in the NFL. His pass protection will be problematic from the start as he gets matched up against NFL talent, but if he fixes those issues, he could be a great asset to the Jaguars’ offensive line.
Jalen Reagor, WR, Texas Christian
The extremely speedy receiver out of Texas Christian University would bring an exciting addition to the Jaguars.
The Jags don’t possess a dynamic return threat. A player like Jalen Reagor would completely fix that issue as he ranked No. 2 in the nation in punt return yardage with 20.8 yards and found the endzone twice in 2019. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and showed great elusiveness to evade tacklers in the open field.
Reagor isn’t just a one-trick pony either, he caught 72 balls for 1,061 yards in 2018 with some dreadful quarterback play. He is considerably athletic possessing a 42.0 inch vertical and a 138.0-inch broad jump, so he can be used in a few slot packages and even as a depth wideout in emergency circumstances.
The Jaguars will need all the scoring help they can get. Adding a player like Reagor would instantly bolster their return game.
Clyde-Edwards Helaire, RB, Louisiana State
The nation, at this point, is well aware of Louisiana State University running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and how dominant he and LSU had of a season in 2019.
A newly-crowned 2019 National Champion, Edwards-Helaire burst on the scene with 1,867 yards from scrimmage to go along with 17 total touchdowns, 16 of which came on the ground.
Edwards-Helaire earned an 84.5 PFF grade in 2018 and an 85.1 grade in 2019. While he was an electric receiver with 55 receptions in 2019, he earned a 92.0 rushing grade from PFF showing that he is just as much a pure runner as he is a passer.
Even with his talent, his rising draft stock, a great combine performance, and notoriety, Clyde Edwards-Helaire still projects as a third-round pick. With the rumblings of Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette being the subject of a possible trade, drafting a dynamic player such as Edwards-Helaire could potentially cushion the blow of the loss of Fournette.
Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech
Amik Robertson could very well be the “steal of the draft.”
The Louisiana Tech cornerback was a production masterpiece with five interceptions on the year, two of which were returned for touchdowns. He also led the nation in defended passes with 16.
When evaluating his tape, he is a player with tremendous ball-hawking skills. He is also not afraid to mix it up against wide receivers, as he is a physical cornerback that doesn’t get knocked off his coverage when being muscled by other receivers. He can be pretty adept at tackling ball-carriers with 60 tackles on the season. His physicality is impressive considering that he’s only 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds.
Generally, the Jaguars like to draft larger cornerbacks but they need as much depth as possible in the secondary. They don’t possess a true No. 1 cornerback with the trades of Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye who have found homes with the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos, respectively.
Robertson is not slated to be an early-round prospect by any means so the Jags could do well by taking a chance on a talented player such as himself.
Got any more under-the-radar picks that the Jaguars should consider? Sound off in the comments below. Also, follow Robert Ricks on Twitter and follow The Jaguars Wire on Twitter and Facebook for all Jaguars news and discussions!
