Starting Thursday, this 2020’s crop of draft hopefuls will be poked, prodded, and interviewed by NFL teams. Whilst the most important aspects of the NFL Scouting Combine for teams are all conducted off the pitch, the spectacle of public workouts has drawn fans’ attention to Indianapolis for years.
With an additional first-round selection thanks to Jalen Ramsey, Jags fans will have a wide variety of early round selections to watch, making the 2020 Combine the most interesting in years.
The Jaguars’ defense is somewhat undergoing an overhaul at the moment. Ramsey’s subtraction left a hole, as did the release of Marcell Dareus (at least temporarily). Meanwhile, Calais Campbell isn’t getting any younger or cheaper.
Oh yeah, add to this the looming uncertainty surrounding pending free-agent Yannick Ngakoue, too.
Clearly, it would be wise for the Jaguars to use some of their draft capital on reshaping what was once a dominant force. With that in mind, here are some defensive prospects for fans of the team to watch this week:
Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
With his teammate and fellow top-five talent Chase Young opting to sit out of workouts this week, many feared that Jeff Okudah would do the same. Thankfully for fans, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound corner is set to tear up the variety of defensive back drills that the 2020 Combine has to offer.
Many are calling Okudah the best cornerback prospect since Ramsey left Florida State, so Jaguars fans should be hoping that an early run on quarterbacks allows another blue-chip corner fall straight to them.
The former Buckeye has elite man coverage skills, good length, and the quickness to thrive in Todd Wash’s scheme. Scouts expect Okudah’s vertical and broad jumps to be impressive, but they will likely be matched with a low 4.4 in the 40-yard dash.