Category: Josiah Scott

Jags land CB Jameson Houston, 2023 sixth-round pick after trade with Eagles

While the draft and the most important part of free agency may be over, that doesn’t mean a team can’t fill out their roster to their liking. That seems to be exactly the case for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who made a trade Tuesday. Per ESPN’s Adam …

While the draft and the most important part of free agency may be over, that doesn’t mean a team can’t fill out their roster to their liking. That seems to be exactly the case for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who made a trade Tuesday.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jags have acquired cornerback Jameson Houston and a 2023 sixth-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles. As for what they gave up, it all came at the price of sending Philly second-year cornerback Josiah Scott.

The Jags were set to head into the 2021 season pretty deep and experienced at the cornerback position as it was. And while Houston’s addition swaps one second-year player for another, it does give the Jags a player with more size at the position (5-foot-11, 200 pounds).

Houston, who played in three games last year, has yet to register any stats in the NFL. In addition to playing with the Eagles, he also spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers.

As for Scott, he was selected by the Jags in the fourth round last season out of Michigan State. During his rookie season, he played in six games and registered 11 tackles.

Podcast: Jags Wire chats with NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah

The Jags will need a lot of help from their 2020 draft class. To discuss the group, Jags Wire sat down with draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah.

If the Jacksonville Jaguars are to have a successful 2020 season, they are going to need a lot of help from their rookie class. While that may seem like a difficult feat to achieve, it’s worth noting the team had arguably 2019’s best class in terms of contributions with players like Gardner Minshew II, Jawaan Taylor, and Josh Allen aiding the team to six wins.

To discuss the potential of the Jags’ most recent class from April, we spoke to someone who covered it live on ESPN for NFL Network in draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. The former scout of the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Philadelphia Eagles joined us for our latest episode of the “Bleav in the Jags Podcast” and had plenty of takes the fans will definitely like.

Some of the specific topics we discussed outside of the Jags 12-man draft class was Jeremiah’s pick for the Jags’ top undrafted addition, his thoughts on how COVID-19 will affect college football, Gardner Minshew, being a general manager one day, and more.

After our conversation with Jeremiah, Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I continued to discuss Jimmy Smith’s recent resurgence on Twitter and the Jags’ value, according to Forbes.

Feel free to listen to the archived episodes of “Bleav in the Jags,”too, and subscribe via Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify.

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Jags rookie CB Josiah Scott activated from Reserve/ COVID-19 list

The Jags have received their first ever player back from their Reserve/ COVID-19 in rookie CB Josiah Scott.

After spending a few days on their Reserve/ COVID-19 list, rookie cornerback Josiah Scott has been upgraded to the active roster. This comes after Scott took to Twitter to state that he got a false positive reading after reporting to training camp, which required the team to further evaluate the situation.

Scott, 21, was one of the Jags’ fourth-round selections (137th overall) of April’s draft. He played collegiately at Michigan State, and while there, he was able to accumulate 98 total tackles, seven picks, and 32 pass breakups while participating in 30 games.

With Scott now good to go, he can participate in team activities such as walkthroughs, strength and conditioning work, etc. That’s a good thing as the rookies from the 2020 class will already be behind the curve due to there not being any organized team activities, minicamp, and no preseason games in August.

At 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, many believe Scott could be the Jags’ nickelback of the future once D.J. Hayden’s contract expires after 2020. That means the upcoming season may be one where he mostly plays special teams and becomes acclimated with the game.

With Scott coming off the Reserve/ COVID-19 list, the Jags now have seven people remaining on it. That includes fellow rookies Luq Barcoo, DaVon Hamilton, and Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms, as well as second-year offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor and Ryan Pope.

Josiah Scott clarifies reason for being placed on reserve/COVID-19 list

Josiah Scott says his first test for COVID-19 was a false positive, which means who could be cleared for team activities in the near future.

On Monday afternoon, the Jacksonville Jaguars released a list of four rookies who had been placed in their reserve/COVID-19 category, including fourth-round pick Josiah Scott. However, according to him, he registered a false positive on his first test and all signs point to him being able to return sooner than later.

After his incorrect reading, it appears the Jags are playing it safe before Scott is allowed back in the building, and despite camp starting Tuesday, July 28, the team won’t start taking physicals until Days 5-6, while the strength and conditioning phase won’t start until Days 7-15. Before that are simply days of virtual meetings and testing.

Scott was one of the Jags’ three fourth-round picks in April’s draft, and while he likely won’t be a starter as a rookie, he could be a candidate to be the Jags’ nickelback in 2021 with D.J. Hayden’s contract set to expire after 2020. Until then, his best chance to make an impact will be on special teams.

Scott will be entering his NFL career after a run with the Michigan State Spartans where he played in 30 games, accumulated just under 100 tackles, broke up 32 passes, and snagged seven picks. When the Jags return to the field, he’ll get to work alongside fellow rookie C.J. Henderson, Tre Herndon, veteran Rashaan Melvin, and Hayden.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

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Jaguars draft class ranked sixth in NFL, third in AFC

Once again, the Jags have earned high marks on their draft class of 2020 headlined by SEC standouts C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to need significant contributions from their 2020 NFL Draft class if they are to improve their record. After utilizing all 12 of their draft picks, they certainly got the heavy-hitters to get it done.

Many gave the Jags good grades for their class back in April and fans now can add Rotoworld to the list. In a recent look at each team’s 2020 hauls, analyst Thor Nystrom slotted them with the sixth-best class in the league and the third-best in the AFC.

Just a well-rounded process for the Jaguars overall. Jacksonville finished No. 6 in both Draft Score and in the UDFA class rankings and naturally checked in No. 6 in the NFL (and No. 3 in the AFC) in the overall Draft Haul rankings. I was higher on Jacksonville’s draft than the media at large, which ranked the Jags No. 11 in GPA. CB C.J. Henderson and EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson were no-doubt picks at positions of need. WR Laviska Shenault was grand theft in the second-round, while OT Ben Bartch and CB Josiah Scott were both big-time fourth-round values.

The Jags have already come out to say they expect both C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson to make an immediate impact Week 1.

Henderson will undoubtedly start after the Jags lost Jalen Ramsey in the 2019 season and A.J. Bouye this March. Chaisson, on the other hand, should see significant snaps, too, though Yannick Ngakoue’s status could impact his play-time.

Nystrom calling Laviska Shenault Jr. a steal isn’t shocking either. The Jags somewhat referred to him in the same light, stating that he basically would’ve gone much higher in 2019’s draft. He unfortunately had some injuries that hindered his 2020 stock, but the front office was still happy to land him nonetheless.

As for Ben Bartch and Josiah Scott, both could end up being the Jags’ starting right guard and nickelback in 2021 with A.J. Cann not meeting expectations and D.J. Hayden on the last year of his contract. Another player who was drafted in the fourth round that Nystrom didn’t mention was linebacker Shaq Quarterman, who has great developmental tools, too.

When looking at the contributions the Jags got from their 2019 class between Gardner Minshew, Josh Allen, and Jawaan Taylor, Nystrom isn’t wrong to be high on their newest class. Ultimately, if 2020’s class can live up to the high praise they’ve received, Dave Caldwell and Doug Marrone should be able to keep their jobs heading into next year.

What the nation’s top analysts said about the 2020 Jaguars’ draft class

For the most part it looks like the nation’s journalists like what the Jags did in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books and it certainly has been one for the ages.

This year provided an interesting spin on the draft. Due to the social distancing guidelines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft was done virtually with the coaches and player personnel of all 32 teams making their selections from their respective homes. Once the picks were in NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell would then read them off from his home and the rest is history.

The new format didn’t deter viewers as the 2020 NFL Draft would go on to be the highest watched in history as Day 1 and Day 2 would go on to average 11.6 million views, according to Grant Gordon of NFL.com.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were a part of this historic affair as they put together a solid draft that could see them build very well towards the future. While some teams missed the mark with their selections, here is how the nation’s best draft analysts viewed the Jags draft.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

Overall grade: A

“Jacksonville picked up two star SEC defenders (Henderson and Chaisson) to meet critical needs in the first round, then selected worthwhile prospects in the second (Shenault) and third rounds (Hamilton) to sew up a nice first two days of the draft. They started Day 3 with Bartch, who I thought was worthy of a top-75 selection. He plays with a nasty demeanor, and should be able to line up at tackle or, eventually, slide inside if needed. Scott provides more depth in the secondary. Quarterman’s just a great football player who will start in the middle at some point in his pro career (with the Jags or someone else). Thomas is a better athlete than football player at this point, and is likely a special teamer. Johnson is a nice outside complement to Shenault. Luton will compete for playing time if Gardner Minshew falters in 2020 and should at least be a solid backup in the league for a few years.”

Ryan Dunleavy, New York Post

Grade: A-

“Tear-down-and-rebuild of an elite defense starts with the two first-rounders. Shenault is a creative play-caller’s dream and Bartch is a high-ceiling developmental project.”

Mark Maske,  Washington Post

Grade: B+

“The Jaguars seem firmly in rebuilding mode, and they pushed that process along. They landed the draft’s second-best CB, CJ Henderson, and its second-best pass rusher, K’Lavon Chaisson, in the first round. They participated in the run on WRs with the second-round choice of Laviska Shenault Jr. About all that went wrong is that the Jaguars did not find a team willing to trade for RB Leonard Fournette or pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue.

Justin Leger of Yahoo Sports writes


Grade: B

 “Henderson is a perfect pick for Jacksonville after parting ways with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. Combine that with Chaisson at No. 20, and those are two huge additions to the Jags defense. Taking Shenault on Day 2 filled another need at wide receiver, and Hamilton bolsters their run defense. One of the better picks for Jacksonville on Day 3 was Scott, another nice addition to the secondary. Overall, a busy and effective draft for a rebuilding Jaguars squad.”

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com (grade on Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson)

Jacksonville Jaguars: B+

“I love him because he can cover. There are so many guys in the NFL that I talked to leading up to the draft that thought he was better than Okudah.”

Nate Davis, USA TODAY

Grade: C+

“Seems they’re building toward 2021 – Trevor Lawrence? – but nevertheless picked reputable players, including first-round CB C.J. Henderson, who should address a glaring need following Ramsey’s departure. Pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (Round 1) – taken with a pick obtained for Ramsey – and WR Laviska Shenault Jr. (Round 2) could need a transition year, which isn’t a knock but adds to the feel that this club is in a weird limbo. Speaking of which, disgruntled DE Yannick Ngakoue remains.”

Overall, the media received the Jaguars selections very well which could be an encouraging sign for things to come. It has been a tumultuous few weeks in Jacksonville with disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue battling with management and numerous accusations of the organization tanking for current Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

However, the Jaguars can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they did a solid job putting together a good, young team that could potentially compete sooner than people may think.

Highlights of every Jaguars selection in 2020 NFL draft

With the 2020 NFL Draft wrapped up, here are highlights of each selection.

Seven draftees on defense and five on offense. That’s the ratio the Jacksonville Jaguars finished with when all of their 2020 NFL Draft selections were made.

To open the draft on Day 1, the Jags selected two Southeastern Conference defenders in C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson. On Day 2 they finally went offense by taking receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. but ended the day by going back to the defensive side with defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton.

In round four the acquired some help on the offensive line by selecting Ben Bartch, then closed the round with two more defensive selections in linebacker Shaq Quarterman and cornerback Josiah Scott. In round five they added a player on each side of the ball by taking safety Daniel Thomas, then receiver Collin Johnson.

In the sixth round, they finally went all offense by snagging quarterback Jake Luton and tight end Tyler Davis and their last selection, taking in round seven, was another defensive back in Chris Claybrooks.

Here’s a set of highlights for all 12 picks made by general manager Dave Caldwell on Thursday and the weekend:

1.9: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida

1.20: EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, Louisiana State

2.42: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado

3.72: DT DaVon Hamilton, Ohio State

4.116: OL Ben Bartch, St. John

Jags select Michigan State CB Josiah Scott with pick No. 137

The Jags added some much needed help at CB with the selection of Michigan State’s Josiah Scott.

As we’ve previously mentioned, the Jacksonville Jaguars needed a ton of help at the cornerback position as the depth chart looked shaky behind Tre Herndon. The team decided to partially fix that issue right out of the gate by taking C.J. Henderson Day 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft, who was the second-best prospect at the position in the eyes of most.

Saturday, they decided to double-up at the position, snagging Michigan State’s Josiah Scott with selection No. 137.

When looking at his projections, this is right about where Scott was expected to go. At 5-foot-9, 185-pounds, he proved to be a sticky cover corner in the Big 10 after spending three years with the Spartans. During his 2019 campaign, he was able to lead the way for Michigan State’s secondary, totaling 36 tackles, three picks, and six pass breakups.

Prior to that, Scott showcased his resilience in 2018 after battling a knee injury which caused him to miss the first eight games of the season. However, once he returned to the lineup his presence was felt as he was named the RedBox Bowl’s defensive MVP, registering three tackles, and four pass breakups.

With him offering limited size, it appears the Jags could be eying him as a nickel cornerback. While D.J. Hayden has held down the spot and has flourished there, he is on the last year of his deal. If Scott can stick to the roster in 2020, it’s possible he could be groomed to succeed Hayden in 2021 while also contributing on special teams as a rookie.