The 2020 NFL Draft is in the history books and will be one Jacksonville Jaguars fans remember forever. That’s not just because it was the first
Here are six takeaways we gathered after reflecting back on the selections made this weekend:
The Jags and league were higher on C.J. Henderson than some fans
While some fans were fine with the selection of Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson others weren’t. However, when looking at how the cornerback class flew off the board in Round 1, it was clear Henderson was probably graded high on a lot of boards.
After Henderson was taken, A.J. Terrell came off the board at 16, then Damon Arnette at 19, followed by Noah Igbinoghene at 30, then Jeff Gladney at 31. Aside from Gladney, a lot of the aforementioned names were mock to teams in the second-round, which is a sign that the league’s front offices were higher on them (especially Henderson) than speculated.
All of that said, maybe Dave Caldwell was right to go with Henderson but only time will tell as the coverage skills are undoubtedly there.
They really wanted more athleticism on the team
It was clear as a Florida summer day that the Jags came into this draft looking to get more athletic. The selection of Henderson gave them the most athletic cornerback in the draft in the eyes of many (even over Jeff Okudah). K’Lavon Chaisson was also deemed one of the most athletic players in the draft and his versatility as an edge rusher or a cover linebacker is proof.
As for the second day picks, Laviska Shenault Jr. was another prospect who played multiple positions in college and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah called him “arguably the best athlete in the entire class.”Afterward, the Jags selected DaVon Hamilton who has proven to be very agile despite being 6-foot-4, 320-pounds on tape.
Another example of their desire for athletes was the selection of offensive lineman Ben Bartch, who has a tight end background.
When the Jags did their evaluations after the 2019 season, clearly they came to the conclusion they didn’t have enough athletes. That should no longer be a problem after this point if the players they drafted pan out like the 2019 class did.
They also wanted high character individuals
The Jags’ issues in the locker room (as in the mix of personalities) have been well documented and Caldwell, Doug Marrone, and company clearly wanted to change that when looking at the high character individuals they drafted. That much could be seen even before the draft as Joe Schobert himself said the Jags signed him because of his play and their desire for “Good character guys, to set a right way in the locker room.”
Simply put, the Jags didn’t bring any flamboyant players but stuck to players who would more so prefer to let their play do the talking. It appears by doing this they are are hoping the personalities in the locker room won’t clash and everyone will be on the same page heading forward.
The Jags were likely fine with Leonard Fournette returning post-draft
Some thought that the Jags placing Leonard Fournette on the trade block was a telling sign that he wouldn’t be on the team in 2020, however, he still remains on the roster. The Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Bucs were teams who contacted the Jags on the matter, but ultimately nothing came of it.
Of course, Fournette remaining on the roster means that both sides were open to him playing for the Jags in 2020 which could lead to him staying down the road. With the deadline coming up for his fifth-year options, it feels like the Jags may elect to pass on picking his up, but a complete season could still earn him an extension to remain with the team.
Bring on the 3-4 baby
After the Day 2 selection of DaVon Hamilton, Doug Marrone came out to say the Jags have plans to run a 3-4 on base downs, something fans have been long wanting. The team already had 3-4 pieces, however, their moves in the draft put the finishing touches on the personnel.
This move shouldn’t shock fans because despite Todd Wash saying the team would be a 4-3 team last year, Marrone entered the offseason stressing that he wanted to put his players in the best position to win. That decision likely came because of the defense’s struggles last year and the 3-4 backgrounds a majority of their player personnel had in college.
The Jags believed their offense didn’t need much upgrading
The Jags only drafted two offensive players (Shenault and Ben Bartch) in the top-4 rounds and it left fans puzzled because many felt Gardner Minshew II needed more around him. However, the Jags continued the trend of showing that they are comfortable with the offensive players they have for the most part.
Prior to the draft Caldwell said he liked the Jags offensive line on several occasions and that he basically felt they could have a better showing in 2020. He also displayed his confidence in the returning offensive group from 2019 and the offensive additions made prior to the draft (like Tyler Eifert) when asked why the Jags went all defense in Round 1.
Ultimately, time will tell if Caldwell was right to trust an offensive group that didn’t look overly impressive last year and didn’t receive a lot of new additions. However, if he guessed wrong and the Jags’ offense struggles to put up points, it could cost someone their job as Shad Khan has been very patient to this point.
