The Jacksonville Jaguars had three top 50 picks in the 2020 draft, which they used to select cornerback C.J. Henderson, edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. Although the three of them showed flashes at first, they haven’t had the impact the Jags originally envisioned.
The Jaguars already moved on from Henderson, trading him to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick and tight Dan Arnold earlier this year. Shenault hasn’t had the breakout season some expected and K’Lavon Chaisson hasn’t lived up to his draft billing.
Chaisson was off to a slow start in his rookie campaign, logging just eight pressures in the first nine games of the 2021 season. But he suddenly got into a hot streak and had 21 in the last seven weeks. The former LSU Tigers has already registered more starts (five) and total tackles (24) than he did last year. Nevertheless, he still has room for improvement as a pass rusher.
While Chaisson still has time to develop into a playmaker, the Jaguars passed on these players to take him.
No. 1 player the Jaguars could’ve drafted 20th in 2020 – Cesar Ruiz
Offensive lineman may not be a household name outside of The Big Easy but he’s become a key cog in the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line. The Michigan product was drafted two picks after Chaisson and went on to start 15 games in his first year in the NFL. This season, he’s appeared in every single offensive snap. Furthermore, he has the versatility to play guard or center. Drafting an interior offensive lineman may not sound like a thrilling move but if you can find a potential 10-year starter, does it matter?
Although there’s uncertainty at quarterback after the retirement of Drew Brees, the offensive line has been pretty stout this season and one big reason why is Ruiz. Then again, if the Jags had chosen him, they might have passed on Ben Bartch in the fourth round. Ruiz is arguably the better player at this point of their respective careers but Bartch has also shown flashes.
No. 2 player the Jaguars could’ve drafted 20th in 2020 – Patrick Queen
It feels like forever but the Jaguars roster and the coaching staff looked very different last year. Jay Gruden was the offensive coordinator and the Todd Wash oversaw the defense. Neither one was retained by Urban Meyer when he took over. Instead, he brought in Darrell Bevell and Joe Cullen to fill in their respective positions.
Wash used to run a more traditional 4-3 defense while Cullen uses mainly a 3-4, so K’Lavon Chaisson switched from defensive end to strong linebacker. The change hasn’t paid off yet and the Jaguars didn’t know they would be using a different scheme this season but in hindsight, they could have drafted Patrick Queen, who ended up going to the Baltimore Ravens at 28th.
Queen has been more productive than Chaisson at this point of their respective NFL careers. The former was a Day 1 starter and has appeared in every single game over the last two seasons. Moreover, he’s tallied more sacks than Chaisson even though he’s not primarily a pass rusher and plays a more traditional linebacker role.
Having said that, Queen isn’t without flaws. As good as he is in run support and rushing the passer, he needs to improve in coverage. Last year, he gave up a 75.9 completion percentage rate and three touchdowns. This season, he’s not surrendered a score but is allowing a 78.3 completion grade. Still, he’s had more starts, total tackles, and sacks than Chaisson has had in the same span.
No. 3 player the Jaguars could’ve drafted 20th in 2020 – Xavier McKinney
Turnovers have been hard to come by for the Jaguars’ defense over the last two years. Last season, the unit registered 17, good for 27th in the league. In 2021, they rank dead last ahead of Week 12 with a measly five and are on pace to log less than ten.
While it takes more than just one player to generate turnovers, Jacksonville would most likely consider taking safety Xavier McKinney if they had a chance for a redo in 2020. The Alabama product ended up landing with the New York Giants with the 36th overall pick last year.
McKinney wasn’t off to a great start, suffering a foot fracture and landing on the Injured Reserve list before the start of the 2020 season but quickly made up for the lost time. He made his debut in Week 12 and went on to start the last four games of his rookie campaign.
Now at full strength, McKinney has made the leap and is having a Pro Bowl-worthy campaign in 2021, appearing in ten games with nine starts and logging four interceptions, seven passes defensed, and 53 total tackles. The Jaguars would surely like to get that kind of production from the safety position, and if they had drafted him last year, this past offseason may have looked quite different.
Had Jacksonville taken McKinney, they might not have signed Rayshawn Jenkins or drafted Andre Cisco. Then again, their backfield would probably look better right now and their defense could have a few more turnovers this season.
No. 4 player the Jaguars could’ve drafted 20th in 2020 – Jonathan Taylor
The value of running backs has decreased over the last 20 years but they still play an important role in today’s NFL. Although it may not be worth it to draft one in the first round, you can’t also neglect the position, and having a good one will help you field a balanced offense.
The Jaguars know this. Their offense hasn’t been the same after James Robinson hurt his heel in Week 8. Looking back, they found a diamond in the rough, as he totaled 1,414 yards from scrimmage in 2020, the most by an undrafted rookie in league history. But surprisingly, the former Illinois State Redbird wasn’t the best first-year running back last season. That honor belongs to Jonathan Taylor, who racked up over 1,000 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020.
Taylor is having an even better sophomore campaign and has already found the end zone 13 times in 2021. Additionally, he’s less than 50 rushing yards away from setting a career-high. The Wisconsin product currently looks like the best running back from the 2020 batch and is a candidate to earn All-Pro honors at the end of the year.
Imagine Taylor and Robinson in the same backfield. They would arguably form the best running back duo in the league and the Jaguars wouldn’t have needed to use the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft on Travis Etienne, who showed flashes in training camp but is out for the year after suffering a Lisfranc injury in the preseason.
No. 5 player the Jaguars could’ve drafted 20th in 2020 – Justin Jefferson
To be fair, nobody imagined Justin Jefferson was going to turn out to be the playmaker he is. Also, the Jaguars did take a wide receiver, Laviska Shenault Jr. They knew they needed to address the position but looking back, they could have done a better job.
Viska has shown flashes and is great at forcing missed tackles but he’s not still a work in progress. Meanwhile, Jefferson set a rookie record for receiving yards with 1,400 in 2020. Keep in mind that the Jags could have drafted both. First Jefferson at 20th and Shenault at 42nd.
On the other hand, receiver didn’t look like a pressing need for the Jags last year. After all, DJ Chark Jr. was coming off a Pro Bowl campaign and Keelan Cole was still on the roster. To make matters worse, there were several receivers worthy of consideration with the 20th overall pick. Brandon Aiyuk is steadily improving, Michael Pittman has become the primary option in the passing game for the Indianapolis Colts, and Tee Higgins is a solid number two for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chark is out for the year with a fractured ankle and Cole is currently playing for the New York Jets. Drafting Jefferson would have been a case of planning for the future. The Jags wouldn’t have needed to sign Marvin Jones Jr. and Trevor Lawrence would have been a number one receiver to throw the ball to. Also, Jefferson would have lessened the impact of Chark’s injury.