Jags land DL Javon Kinlaw, safety Xavier McKinney in PFF mock

With the 2020 NFL Combine ongoing, the good people over at Pro Football Focus released a new mock draft. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, they found themselves with two Southeastern Conference standouts in round one, as they were slotted Javon Kinlaw …

With the 2020 NFL Combine ongoing, the good people over at Pro Football Focus released a new mock draft.

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, they found themselves with two Southeastern Conference standouts in round one, as they were slotted Javon Kinlaw of South Carolina and Xavier McKinney of Alabama.

9. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – DI JAVON KINLAW, SOUTH CAROLINA

At 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Kinlaw possesses elite size and length for the defensive tackle position. He is a bit raw from a technique standpoint, but he still managed to produce at a high level against SEC competition in each of the past two seasons. He earned PFF pass-rushing grades above 88.0 in 2018 and 2019.

20. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – S XAVIER MCKINNEY, ALABAMA

There’s an argument for pushing McKinney ahead of Delpit as the class’ best safety considering just how productive and versatile he was at Alabama. His overall grade and PFF coverage grade improved every year of his collegiate career, and he earned an impressive 88.4 overall grade and an 89.2 PFF coverage grade in 2019. He also logged over 500 defensive snaps played at free safety, box safety and slot cornerback over the past two seasons with the Crimson Tide.

Kinlaw is a name familiar too Jags fans because he’s been heavily associated with them since the Senior Bowl where he balled out. There wasn’t really much the offensive linemen in Mobile could do with him and his stock rose as a result.

McKinney, on the other hand, is a name who really hasn’t been tied to the Jags being that safety isn’t as big of a need as several other positions. That said, the Jags may be better off using their No. 20 selection on a receiver, linebacker, or offensive lineman.

If they did pull the trigger on McKinney, however, it would reunite him with former Crimson Tide teammate Ronnie Harrison, who will enter the season as the starter at safety alongside Jarrod Wilson. In terms of his skillset, scouts really like McKinney’s versatility and football IQ. Clearly, based on his PFF scores, he’s solid in coverage, too.

While at Alabama, McKinney participated in 32 games. In 2019, he was named a first-team member of the all SEC team after registering 59 tackles on the season.