The NFL draft is an inexact science in which even can't-miss prospects struggle to make the transition to the pros. That said, the best teams have a high success rate of identifying talent coming from the collegiate ranks while the bad ones don't. It's fair to say that the Jacksonville Jaguars have fallen in the latter category the past 20 years.
General manager Trent Baalke was certainly better than his predecessor, Dave Caldwell, but also struggled to build a Super Bowl team during his four-year stint in Duval. And while that wasn't the main reason he was kicked to the curb, some of his misses are still haunting the Jags. With that in mind, here are a handful of draft blunders that continue to hold them back.
K'Lavon Chaisson, edge rusher
The Jaguars drafted K'Lavon Chaisson 20th overall in 2020 with the expectation that he was going for a dominant pass-rush tandem opposite Josh Hines-Allen. However, he turned out to be one of their worst draft flops of the last 10 years. While he deserves plenty of blame for his inability to put it all together, Jacksonville didn't do much to help him.
Originally, the former LSU Tiger was going to join a rotation that included the aforementioned Hines-Allen, Yannick Ngakoue, and Calais Campbell. However, Dave Caldwell traded Ngakoue and Campbell before the 2020 regular season, and Chaisson was pressed into a bigger featured role. He wasn't ready, and it showed.
The Texas native spent his whole rookie season learning to play with his hand on the ground after mostly playing in a two-point stance at college. It ended up hampering his development. Then again, he got a clean slate with both Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson and still floundered.
It wasn't until Chaisson joined the Las Vegas Raiders — after getting cut by the Carolina Panthers — that he put it all together. Meanwhile, the Jags continue to look for a No. 3 pass rusher behind Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
Heck, you could even make the case that the Jags wouldn't have drafted if Chaisson hadn't been a bust in Jacksonville. Speaking of...
Travon Walker, edge rusher
Disclaimer, Travon Walker is a good player, and Trent Baalke deserves credit for correctly identifying his potential in the 2022 NFL Draft. A highly talented yet raw prospect coming out of Georgia, the former Bulldog hardly ever rushed the quarterback from a standup position. He had to learn that skill during his rookie season, and it was reflected in his modest production.
Fortunately for Jacksonville, the Thomaston, Georgia native found his groove and posted back-to-back 10-sack seasons. But as productive as he has been, it's fair to wonder if the Jaguars don't regret passing on Aidan Hutchinson to draft Walker.
Make no mistake, Walker is a good player, one who could be a staple of the Jaguars defense for the foreseeable future, but he isn't nearly as dominant as Hutchinson. While the former has made progress, the latter had a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 before he suffered a season-ending injury.
Simply put, there will be questions surrounding Walker through the rest of his career unless he becomes better than Hutchinson. That could eventually happen, but it's definitely not the case right now.
CJ Henderson, cornerback
The same year the Jaguars drafted K'Lavon Chaisson, they selected C.J. Henderson to replace the departed Jalen Ramsey. And for a brief moment, it seemed like he was up to the task, flashing as a rookie before a groin injury cut his 2020 campaign shot. That was the beginning of the end for Henderson, at least in Jacksonville. He missed a good chunk of the 2021 offseason and was traded just three games into the regular season.
After his stint with the Jags, the former Florida Gator spent three unremarkable seasons with the Carolina Panthers before joining the Houston Texans and later the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. At this stage of his career, he doesn't look like more than a reserve cornerback, which is a shame, because if he had lived up to expectations, he would have given the Jaguars a pair of lockdown cornerbacks opposite Tyson Campbell.
It wasn't meant to be, though, and cornerback remains a need for Jacksonville.
Devin Lloyd, linebacker
You cannot truly say that linebacker Devin Lloyd has been a bust... but you can't say that he was a hit either. While he's been a starter the past three years, he hasn't turned into a difference-maker, which is what you want from your first-round selections.
Although Lloyd got two interceptions and six passes defensed in his first three NFL games, that was the last time that he would showcase game-changing skills on a consistent basis. The former Utah Ute didn't record a single turnover in 2023 and his lone interception last season fell into his hands. This is a long-winded way to say that the Jaguars could've picked virtually any other player 27th overall in 2022 and they would've been better off.
Lloyd will probably need to fend off fellow linebacker Ventrell Miller this offseason if he wants to keep his job, and the only reason you won't hear about him being a potential trade candidate is that his $6 million salary for 2025 is guaranteed.
Luke Fortner, center
By now, you might've picked a theme. The Jaguars' 2022 draft class was underwhelming, probably the worst of the Trent Baalke era. While center Luke Fortner wasn't a first-round selection like Devin Lloyd or Travon Walker, he too has left much to be desired.
Fortner was expected to fill in Brandon Linder's shoes at center. He certainly showed potential as a rookie but he struggled so badly in 2023, that the Jaguars brought in Mitch Morse to bring stability at the position last year.
Fast forward to 2025 and center remains an issue for Jacksonville. Both Fortner and Morse are entering contract years, and neither is the long-term answer for the position. The former hasn't gotten any better, and the latter is already 33, so the Jags are likely back at square one.
Fortunately, this year's class will be loaded with talented prospects. Heck, the team's brass could even find an heir apparent for Morse on Day 3 of the draft.