Tag: Louisiana State Tigers

4 under-the-radar draft prospects the Jaguars should target

Jags Wire contributor Robert Ricks previews some low-key players the Jags should take a look at in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft will kick off on April 23-25 and teams are scrambling through their draft sheets to find the next great prospects.

While the first round can be full of notable names and predictable landing spots, the later rounds can be full of pleasant surprises to the fans but maybe not so pleasant for the prospects themselves.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will need to do everything possible to make sure that they make the correct picks as they look towards a complete retooling of the roster.

The football world has been accustomed to hearing the names of guys like former Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow and Ohio State linebacker Chase Young, however, here are a few non-household names that the Jaguars can look to target in the later rounds:

Kevin Dotson, OG, Louisiana-Lafayette

(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)

The guard out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette could help a struggling spot on the Jaguars’ offensive line. More of a fifth or sixth round target, Dotson came in as PFF’s No. 1 rated guard with a 92.1 grade in 2019 and hasn’t finished lower than No. 19 in his career.

The Jaguars have been flawed at the guard spot with Andrew Norwell having a tough time with run blocking and A.J Cann completely struggling at the position as a whole.

Dotson would make for a nice late-round project as he has the build and upside to be a quality guard in the NFL. His pass protection will be problematic from the start as he gets matched up against NFL talent, but if he fixes those issues, he could be a great asset to the Jaguars’ offensive line.

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3 players Jaguars should draft with the No. 20 selection

The Jags’ No. 20 pick is kind of in no-man’s land, but there could be some solid prospects for them to take there.

The NFL Draft is quickly approaching, whether COVID-19 likes it or not. The NFL has held strong on its dates and has recently stated that video game company Electronic Arts will be hosting a virtual draft for the prospects and teams.

These are certainly different times.

What has stayed the same, however, is the Jags’ need for help on both sides of the ball. In the first round, most believe that Jacksonville will draft two of four key positions of need, those being offensive line, defensive line, wide receiver, and cornerback.

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Obviously, what they do with the ninth selection will affect pick No. 20, but both selections will be one of those four positions, so it’s important for fans to get accustomed to the players at those key positions.

Here are three players the Jaguars should draft with the 20th overall selection:

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

CB Kristian Fulton, LSU

Kristian Fulton was one of the very first prospects that I did a spotlight on for the Jaguars, all the way back in October. He’s simply one of the best players at a position of need for Jacksonville. He’s silky smooth and is one of the more developed players at corner in this year’s draft. For those worried about their corners getting burned, that’s rarely the case for Fulton as he is as sticky as they come.

In 2019 much of the talk regarding Louisiana State’s defense was about freshman cornerback Derek Stingly Jr. and for good reason. That said, let’s not take away from Fulton’s spectacular final season, leading Louisiana State to a National Championship.

It’s uncertain of how high exactly Fulton will go but if he is there at No. 20, I would be “virtually” sprinting the card up to the podium to make this selection. It’s a no-brainer and one the Jaguars would surely not regret.

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Watch: LSU draft prospect K’Lavon Chaisson works out in Jags shirt

Could K’Lavon Chaisson rocking a Jags shirt during his most recent work out be a sign of things to come after the draft?

While it might surprise some, the Jacksonville Jaguars could end up drafting an exterior pass-rusher in round one with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue clearly wanting to play for another team. One player who could be an option is Louisiana State pass-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, who most draft pundits feel should be selected around the 20th pick.

For those who’ve wondered what the young pass-rusher would look like in Jags gear, look no further than Twitter. With the draft coming up, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle posted a video of Chaisson showing off his footwork in — you guessed it — a Jags shirt.

Chaisson was one of the key members of the national champions’ defensive front, starting in 13 games during their 2019 run. He finished the season with a team-high of 13.5 tackles for loss and was able to garner 34 tackles and 6.5 sacks while also being named a first-teamer on the All-Southeastern Conference team for 2019.

One knock on Chaisson has been his ability to stay healthy as he’s battled with injuries throughout his career. He missed 2018 with a torn ACL and two games in 2019 with and ankle injury. Also, he’ll have to improve against the run over time, which could scare the Jags away being that they need improvement in the category, too. However, if they don’t think their future with Ngakoue can be salvaged and believe in Chaisson’s upside, maybe the young edge-rusher will be wearing more Jags gear in the near future.

Jags land 2 pass catchers and 2 DBs in Draft Wire 3-round mock draft

The Jags could use a starting cornerback after trading Jalen Ramsey and Draft Wire slotted the Jags a successor in their latest mock.

Despite the emergence of receiver DJ Chark, many draft pundits have continued to mock Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s not to say we disagree here at the Jags Wire as Lamb is having an unreal season, racking up 44 receptions for 983 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Our comrades at Draft Wire are amongst those on the web who like the fit and slotted him to the Jags in their latest mock draft. They also slotted the Jags a new cornerback to start at Jalen Ramsey’s old spot in Louisiana State’s Kristian Fulton with their second first-round selection form Los Angeles Rams.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars | CeeDee Lamb | WR | Oklahoma

No matter who is playing quarterback for the Jags next year, that passer will need a blue-chip No. 1 receiver to make this offense reach its potential. Lamb has been a one-man highlight reel all season long, and has all the tools to be that player from Day 1.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR) | Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU

After trading away arguably the league’s best corner in Jalen Ramsey, the Jags obviously have a gaping hole on the roster. Why not use one of the picks they got in return to fill that need? Fulton is big, physical, and immediate starter material.

Adding one of college’s most elite playmakers in Lamb sounds like a win in my book. Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew II, and coordinator John DeFilippo certainly wouldn’t complain either, as they could throw some nightmare formations at the opposition with Chark, Lamb, Westbrook, and Conley.

Fulton would be another welcomed addition. We’ve mentioned him in the past as our own Daniel Griffis did a breakdown on him, singling out his hip flexibility and versatility.

The Jags didn’t stop with just one pass catcher in Draft Wire’s mock, though, and were slotted Washington tight end Hunter Bryant, who would provide some much-needed help at the tight end position. They also double-dipped in the secondary by drafting Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield, Jr.

46. Jacksonville Jaguars | Hunter Bryant | TE | Washington

77. Jacksonville Jaguars | Antoine Winfield, Jr. | S | Minnesota

Sure, fans will be quick to point out the fact that the Jags just drafted Josh Oliver, however, we’ve yet to see much out of him. Additionally, the position has been very injury prone with James O’Shaughnessy and Geoff Swaim going on injured reserve and Oliver himself missing the Jags’ first six games. Adding the 6-foot-2, 239-pound Bryant onto the roster could work wonders for the Jags passing offense because he’s tremendous after the catch and is a problem for defensive backs to bring down.

As for Winfield, his name may sound very familiar. That’s because he’s the son of retired NFL great Antoine Winfield Sr., who was a three-time Pro Bowler. Needless to say, Winfield’s elite athleticism rubbed off on his son, who is a rising name in the 2020 NFL Draft after his two-pick performance against Penn State. He has the ball skills in which the Jags could use in their backfield, though Jarrod Wilson and Ronnie Harrison certainly aren’t bad players.