With every draft class comes the potential of veterans being replaced by younger and cheaper options. That applies for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the class they brought in last month, which consisted of a whopping 12 draft picks. Add in the fact that the team added 18 undrafted players, and it appears Dave Caldwell could be looking to make the team super young.
That being said, there were some players on the roster who benefitted from the moves made in the draft while others, unfortunately, didn’t.
Here’s our list of winners and losers from the annual event:
Winners
OT Cam Robinson
Many fans were hoping the Jags drafted an offensive tackle or guard early to help upgrade the line, but that did not happen. In fact, with the offensive tackle class being talented at the top, the Jags elected to pass on names like Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs, and Jedrick Wills, all of whom were thought to be top-15 prospects grade-wise.
This is huge for Cam Robinson as he will now get to return to the starting lineup and protect Minshew’s blindside. While his play has been sporadic, there is a chance he’ll improve in 2020, especially when considering he’ll be further removed from his ACL tear from 2018. That said, like Minshew, 2020 is a year for Robinson to be a permanent starter as he’ll be playing on the last year of his rookie contract.
QB Gardner Minshew II
Speaking of Minshew, it’s hard to imagine that he’s not happy with the offensive additions made throughout the draft. Sure, fans wanted to see a starter or two added to the offensive line, but maybe the front office’s fate in the current group will pay off.
As for the weapons on the outside, the Jags were able to add a player they were high on in Laviska Shenault Jr. While that’s just one addition in the top-3 rounds, it’s huge because it gives the offense a No. 2 on the outside, which allows Dede Westbrook to move to the slot if all goes well.
The addition of Collin Johnson could be huge, too. While he may not have the speed and could struggle to separate in the NFL, receivers coach Keenan McCardell has proven to be a good teacher. If he can make the 6-foot-6, 222-pounder an Allen Lazard type of threat for the Jags, that would be huge.
Simply put, the key for both receivers will be to stay healthy, and if they can, Minshew has a chance to flourish.
Edge rusher Josh Allen
When considering all that Minshew did in 2019, it’s easy to forget that Josh Allen, the Jags’ first draft pick of 2019, was even better. He set the team’s rookie sack record with 10.5 and also went to the Pro Bowl. I mean, what more can fans ask for out of a rookie?
The crazy thing about Allen is that the team built around him more than Minshew in the draft, which actually isn’t the worst thing in the world. They got him some help to rush the passer in K’Lavon Chaisson and got a young nose tackle in DaVon Hamilton to do the dirty work in the middle. Both were top-3 selections and could be core pieces alongside Allen for years to come.
With Yannick Ngakoue potentially sitting out and Calais Campbell gone, Allen seems to be embracing the role of being a leader. During the draft process, he spoke to Chaisson and provided words of encouragement while stressing that both could grow together and turn the franchise around. If that doesn’t excite fans about Allen and the future, I’m not sure what will.
Losers
Safety Jarrod Wilson
While the Jags didn’t put a lot of high draft capital into the safety position, the additions of Daniel Thomas in the fifth-round and J.R. Reed in undrafted free agency are underrated additions. Both could pose a threat to Jarrod Wilson’s job, too.
Thomas recorded a relative athletic score (RAS) of 8.43 during his offseason workouts (Combine and Pro Day) at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds. As stated above by Kent Lee Platte, he looks to be quite an athlete and could entice the Jags to make a change at safety as Wilson isn’t a bad player, but is one who simply doesn’t make impact plays.
Reed, on the other hand, was a very good player and leader for an elite Georgia Bulldogs defense. He won’t necessarily wow fans with his athleticism but he’s always where he needs to be and plays smart. If he showcases these traits in the summer, he’ll catch the staff’s eyes in the same way undrafted cornerback Tre Herndon has over time.
LB Quincy Williams
The Jags shocked many with the selection of Quincy Williams last year after taking him late in the third-round out of Murray State. He was thrust into a starting role Week 1 and he didn’t fare well, which eventually caused him to be benched as the NFL game proved to be a big jump for him. Additionally, he ended up on injured reserve in early December, which took away some valuable time he could’ve had on the field.
Fast forward to present day and the Jags will be going to more 3-4 looks and it’s unknown how Williams could fit into the scheme. Additionally, things have gotten crowded as Myles Jack and Joe Schobert are set to start in the interior while Allen and maybe Chaisson are set to be rush linebackers.
While it’s hard to see the Jags giving up on Williams so soon in his career, he may be buried under the depth chart as a defensive player and may have to stick with being a special teams guy predominantly. That said, fans should watch him closely during training camp because he has a lot of improvement to make in the process.
Guards A.J. Cann or Andrew Norwell (in 2021)
The Jags like to prepare in advance to move on from a veteran (like most teams do) and the addition of fourth-round pick Ben Bartch could lead to that. While they view him more as a project for now, in 2021, he could be ready to start.
The team has come out to say they will try him out at both guard and tackle, but for my money, I’d say guard may be the spot for him despite his solid height (6-foot-6). The reason for that is because A.J. Cann has an out in his contract next year and Norwell won’t be getting any cheaper as he is set to be a cap hit of $15 million next season.
Of the two, Cann would be the cheapest to move on from, and if Bartch is where they want him to be Year 2, he may be replacing him over Norwell.
