The Tennessee Titans had a solid 2020 NFL Draft, but what were their AFC South rivals up to and what areas of need did each address.
Let’s take a look at the respective draft classes of the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts made a total of nine picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Here’s a look at each selection the team made in order.
Round 2: Michael Pittman Jr., WR | Jonathan Taylor, RB
Round 3: Julian Blackmon, S
Round 4: Jacob Eason, QB
Round 5: Danny Pinter, OL
Round 6: Robert Windsor, DL | Isaiah Rodgers, CB | Dezmon Patmon, WR | Jordan Glasgow, LB
Analysis: After not having a pick in the first round, the Colts immediately went to work on their offense in the second by drafting a running back and a wide receiver. Indy would go on to add a potential quarterback of the future in the fourth and a second wide receiver in the sixth.
Clearly the Colts are trying to revamp their offense as a whole in order to give new quarterback Philip Rivers more weapons than Jacoby Brissett had last season.
With this added emphasis, the Titans should see a much-improved Colts offense through the air, as well as a dangerous 1-2 punch on the ground that will be running behind an already elite offensive line.
Here is what Kevin Hickey from Colts Wire had to say about the team’s picks:
The Colts wanted to emphasize explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball while adding depth and upside to the defensive side of the ball. Some of the picks were surprising, but the Colts clearly had a plan.
When it was all said and done, the Colts seemed to have come out strong. They got a shiny new wide receiver, an explosive running back and seemed to have gotten the praise from most of the draft analysts who graded each team.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The rebuilding Jacksonville Jaguars made a total of 12 picks in this year’s draft. Here they are.
Round 1: C.J. Henderson, CB | K’Lavon Chasisson, EDGE
Round 2: Laviska Shenault Jr., WR
Round 3: Davon Hamilton, DL
Round 4: Ben Bartch, OT | Josiah Scott, CB | Shaquille Quarterman, LB
Round 5: Daniel Thomas, S | Collin Johnson, WR
Round 6: Jake Luton, QB | Tyler Davis, TE
Round 7: Chris Claybrooks, CB
Analysis: With Jalen Ramsey and Calais Campbell gone, and with the inevitable departure of Yannick Ngakoue looming, the Jags went right to work on their defense and have begun building their front seven.
Another big need for the Jags was at wide receiver, which was addressed immediately in second-round pick, Laviska Shenault Jr., who was one of the faster receivers in the draft. The addition of Collin Johnson in the fifth gives Jacksonville some more depth options, also.
On top of adding several depth pieces on defense in the last four rounds, the Jags got pretty good value in offensive tackle Ben Bartch, who is a bit raw but could develop into a starter down the road.
Houston Texans
After going trade happy the past few seasons and making two more deals during the draft, Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien was able to hold on to at least some picks en route to selecting five players. Take a look.
Round 2: Ross Blacklock, DL
Round 3: Jonathan Greenard, EDGE
Round 4: Charlie Heck, OL
Round 4: John Reid, CB
Round 5, Isaiah Coulter, WR
Analysis: For the most part, the first two picks are where O’Brien and the Texans made their draft.
After losing D.J. Reader in free agency, the Texans added his replacement in TCU’s Ross Blacklock, who had been mocked all over the place, including at the end of the first round. The addition of Florida’s Jonathan Greenard gives Houston a promising pass-rusher coming off the edge.
The Texans’ last three picks were mostly depth moves. The selection of North Carolina’s Charlie Heck stands out the most, as clearly the Texans wanted to bring in another option on the offensive line that can help keep Deshaun Watson upright, which has been a problem over the years.
