Draftees the Jaguars regret ignoring in favor of Laviska Shenault Jr. in 2020

The Jaguars could've drafted Jaylon Johnson instead of Laviska Shenault Jr.

Looking back, the Jaguars entered the 2020 NFL Draft with plenty of needs. In fact, they barely had any strenghts that year besides maybe offensive tackle. One position they could've or should've addressed more aggressively was cornerback. While they selected C.J. Henderson ninth overall, it wasn't until the sixth round that they took another corner.

In the second round, in particular, the Jags could've taken Jaylon Johnson. This do-over makes sense when you consider that the front office had traded Jalen Ramsey the year prior. Tre Herndon stepped in his place but he was serviceable at best. It's also worth noting that DJ Hayden was coming off a Pro Bowl-caliber season but he was better suited to play in the slot. That's why taking another corner besides Henderson would've made sense.

Cornerback ultimately was an area of concern for the Jags in 2020. They had to sign Sidney Jones and then-rookie Chris Claybrooks was pressed into action. Compounding the issue was that Henderson suffered a season-ending injury that year. Having Johnson in the mix would've come in handy.

It took Johnson a bit to hit his stride, and his relationship with the Bears soured to the point where he wanted to be traded in 2022. Ultimately, he stayed put, got to work, and went on to break out the following year. Having seen enough of him, Chicago gave him a four-year deal worth $76 million in the offseason.

Had the Jags drafted Johnson, it would've lessened the impact of taking Henderson in the first round. Moreover, they would've gotten a cornerback who's never given up a 60 completion percent rate in a season.