4 players Jaguars could have drafted instead of Laviska Shenault

Jaguars’ draft alternative with 42nd overall pick in 2020 – Van Jefferson

The 2020 wide receiver draft class was deep, and you could get easily get a quality one in the second one. That’s why the decision to take Laviska Shenault with the 42nd overall pick made sense.

The Jags could have drafted Justin Jefferson or Tee Higgins 20th overall or they could have waited to take Van Jefferson with the 45th overall. The Mississippi product had a slow start to his NFL career, catching 19 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown in his rookie campaign.

After playing just 23 percent of the Rams’ offensive snaps in 2020, Jefferson has seen an uptick in playing time this season and has made the most of it, hauling in 33 yards for 580 receiving yards and four touchdowns. This is great production when you take into account that he’s usually the third or fourth option behind Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee, and Odell Beckham Jr. in Los Angeles’ passing attack.

The Jaguars are going to have a taste of what Jefferson can do in Week 13, when they travel to the West Coast to take on the Rams. If the second-year wide receiver has a great game, the Jags may question why they chose to pass him up.