ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his second mock draft of the year and the Jacksonville Jaguars went in a different direction than in his last mock. Instead of slotting them South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw and Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet, he went all defense this time around.

In the first round, he slotted the Jags one of the most versatile players in the draft: Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

The reason? Well, the Jags simply have missed the presence of Telvin Smith at the weak-side linebacker position, and Simmons would bring a similar skill-set to the Jags’ defense.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars
Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson

The good news for the Jaguars: With two first-round picks thanks to the Jalen Ramsey trade, they can upgrade two positions and try to get instant-impact players. The bad news? One of their biggest holes is now at cornerback, where they have to find a capable starter to fill Ramsey’s spot. After Okudah, I don’t have another cornerback ranked among the top 10 prospects, so Jacksonville could wait until No. 20 to target a corner. I also look at its brutal run defense from last season — the defense gave up 5.1 yards per carry, which ranked 31st in the league — and see room for improvement. Enter Simmons, a versatile run-and-cover linebacker who is perfect for an NFL that craves three-down, rangy linebackers. The Jags never replaced Telvin Smith, who abruptly retired last May, and so Simmons would slot in perfectly.

Simmons would be a solid pick without a doubt but I believe Myles Jack is the player the Jags should put at weak-side linebacker, so drafting Simmons complicates things. The Jags might work out a scenario where Jack plays SAM linebacker with Simmons on the weak-side in base packages, then maybe Jack could kick in on late downs.

Still, regardless of what they would have to do, landing Simmons is not a bad thing at all.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

Finally, the second corner goes off the board; there are some good cornerbacks in this class, but it’s more deep than elite. I mentioned earlier the Jags’ Jalen Ramsey-sized hole at the position, and Henderson could help fill it. The word I’ve used to describe Henderson’s tape is “natural.” He is smooth in coverage, flipping his hips with ease to run with receivers. He didn’t have an interception in 2019, but he had six total in the two previous seasons. I don’t expect free-agent Yannick Ngakoue to leave Jacksonville this offseason, but pass-rusher would become a priority if he does.

C.J. Henderson would be another great addition for the Jags after losing Jalen Ramsey and potentially A.J. Bouye as a cap casualty. Even with Bouye on the roster, pairing him with Henderson would give the Jags a respectable tandem.

While Henderson may not be as powerful as Ramsey or isn’t nearly the same type of threat as a tackler in run support, he offers great vine-like length like him. Ultimately, corners are paid based on their ability to cover receivers and Henderson does that quite well, which is all that matters.