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.

Top DT prospects for the Steelers in the 2020 NFL Draft

Who will replace Javon Hargrave? These defensive tackles are projected to be available second-to-mid rounds

With the departure of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave via free agency, expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to select his replacement in the second-to-mid rounds.

Here are the top DTs projected to be available:

Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Raekwon Davis | Alabama

Height: 6-6          Weight: 316

As a reserve in his freshman year, Davis contributed four tackles and one sack. He became a playmaker as a sophomore by posting 69 tackles, 10 for loss, and a team-high 8.5 sacks in 14 games (six starts), which earned him first-team All-SEC honors. During Alabama’s title run that year, Davis had 10 tackles, two sacks, and an INT in the team’s two playoff wins. His production dropped off his junior and senior seasons.

Davis compiled 67 solo tackles, 108 assists, 19.5 TFL, 11.5 sacks, one INT, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery during his career at Alabama.

Davis is a versatile run defender who can play DT or NT versus the run. With excellent strength and power, he is tough to move off the ball. He completely controls his run lane in either 1-gap or 2-gap situations. The more Davis played his last two seasons, his effectiveness as a pass-rusher diminished; he was better when he was fresh and played fewer reps.

2020 NFL draft: Thaddeus Moss scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about LSU tight end prospect Thaddeus Moss

Thaddeus Moss | TE | LSU

Elevator Pitch

The son of NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss, Thaddeus has an NFL pedigree. Sure-handed pass catcher who is also a phenomenal blocker. He will be a good secondary option at the NFL level until he is further in his development.

Vitals

Height | 6-2

Weight | 250

Class | Redshirt Junior

College Stats

College Bio

Combine Profile

Strengths

If you are looking for a blocking tight end then Moss should be atop the list for your NFL team. Not just a chip guy before getting into his route, Moss can take on defenders one on one in passing sets. As a run blocker, he brings physicality and animosity. Great blocker on the edge, running backs will love running behind Moss.

Some of the best hands in the class, he is as sure handed as they come. Get the ball near his frame and Moss likely comes down with the ball. Rarely will he require double-catches to bring the ball in. When dealing with smaller defenders, will box them out with his wide frame to seal off defenders to prevent passes defended.

His footwork is a huge plus in his game. Keeps good balance and rarely stumbles in his blocking. Moss uses his lower half to really drive into his blocks. An absolute bully at the point of attack. Likely will see plenty of playing time because of his blocking ability over his ability in the passing game.

Weaknesses

He is more of a warming up runner, takes a bit to get to his top end speed. He won’t threaten defenders up the seam and Moss won’t create a lot of separation at the second and third levels of a defense. Teams shouldn’t expect much in terms of yards after the catch.

Not a well defined route runner, a bit of a shock since he is the son of the one of the two best wide receivers of all-time. Needs to become more refined as a route runner since Moss won’t win matchups with his limited athleticism.

Projection: 3rd-4th round

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LSU OT Saahdiq Charles declares for 2020 NFL draft

Another Louisiana State Tiger football player has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. This time it was offensive tackle Saahdiq Charles.

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~ Proverbs 14:23 🦍🎤

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The Louisiana State Tigers haven’t even had 72 hours to celebrate their 2019-2020 National Championship before the underclassmen began declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Now you can add offensive tackle Saahdiq Charles to the list of Tigers making the jump this offseason. Charles made the announcement via social media Wednesday.

Charles will join Justin Jefferson, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Grant Delpit, Patrick Queen and Jacob Phillips, who have also declared. Looks like head coach Ed Oregeron will have his work cut out for him as he looks to re-tool his team following this run of declarations on top of the seniors who will also be leaving the program.

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Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm suffers ankle injury in SEC title game

Three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm suffered an ankle injury following an awkward landing on a sack.

In the second quarter in today’s SEC Championship game, three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm suffered an ankle injury following an awkward landing on a sack.

Backup quarterback Stetson Bennett has stepped in but Fromm’s injury appears to be minor and will not keep him out of the game.

Fromm since returned but looks rattled entering the second half.

Bad luck for the Dawgs: Joe Burrow passes to Joe Burrow

Following several dropped passes on offense, Georgia’s luck got worse.

Following several dropped passes on offense, Georgia’s luck got worse.

This prolonged a drive that ultimately led to a questionable catch ruled as a touchdown.

 

How Georgia football’s defense can limit LSU QB Joe Burrow

UGA’s defense allows 10.4 PPG. It’s the best defense LSU has seen all year. The Tigers’ offense is the best the Dawgs will face in 2019.

Georgia’s defense is giving up 10.4 points per game and is by all metrics the best defense LSU has played all year. The Tigers’ offense is the best that the Dawgs have faced in 2019 and is led by Joe Burrow, who will likely have his name inscribed onto the Heisman Trophy in a few short weeks.

Burrow has completed an insane 314 of his 401 passing attempts (78.3%), has thrown an even more insane 44 touchdowns, and has amassed 4366 passing yards, enough to make him the SEC record holder for passing yards in a single season.

Those numbers are staggering and present a daunting task for the Silver Britches. But if any unit can possibly limit Joe Burrow, it’s the Bulldogs’ smothering defense.

The Tigers’ quarterback is poised and methodical with an ability to scramble outside the pocket the extend plays. He keeps his eyes downfield and has the speed to roll out and tuck the ball for quick gains to the sideline.

For the Junkyard Dawgs to diminish Burrow’s prowess, they need to keep him in the pocket. Rushing three men while dropping eight, including a spy linebacker eyeing the quarterback, keeps Georgia’s defense in a man free alignment that can negate big plays and contain Louisiana State’s explosive offense.

In 2019, several SEC West teams have used this formation in attempt to confuse Burrow to no avail, but Georgia’s speedy and physical defense possesses better athletes than any defensive group the Tigers have seen thus far, save for Alabama (which is debatable).

All of this is much easier said than done against a team with the Southeastern Conference’s best performing signal caller and an embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position, which includes Biletnikoff Award finalists Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. If Georgia’s secondary can maintain man coverage downfield while the front seven can keeping a spy on Burrow, they can hand LSU their first loss of the year.

Matchup preview: Georgia’s offense against LSU’s defense

The Bulldogs’ offense chose a good time to click again, scoring 52 points in last week’s beatdown of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

We’ve provided a complete statistical breakdown of the SEC Championship Game as well as a prediction of the matchup between Georgia’s defense and LSU’s offense. Today we explore how the Silver Britches’ offense stacks up against LSU’s defense.

The Bulldogs’ offense chose a good time to click again, scoring 52 points in last week’s beatdown of Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Georgia averaged only 22 points per game in its six previous contests, not having scored over 30 points during the stretch. This followed a 5-0 start during which the offense scored 42.8 points per game.

LSU’s defense has been inconsistent in recent weeks but found their form last week against Texas A&M, yielding just 169 yards to the Aggies after allowing 304 yards against SEC bottom-dweller Arkansas and a whopping 614 yards versus 4-8 Ole Miss the week prior.

Without injured leading wide receiver Lawrence Cager, Georgia’s offense had to get a bit more creative in their regular season closer. We saw more toss sweeps and end-arounds against from the Dawgs against the Yellow Jackets.

Second-leading receiver George Pickens is suspended for the first half of the SEC Championship following a fight with Georgia Tech defensive back Tre Swilling, which will force Georgia to turn even more toward the run against an LSU secondary allowing a mediocre 2657 passing yards on the season, ranked 56th out of 130 FBS teams.

The Tigers’ defense is ranked 28th in rushing defense; their opponents have gained 1494 ground yards this season.

UGA’s tailbacks have eclipsed 2400 yards, more than any of Louisiana State’s previous 2019 opponents. Over half of those yards have been gained by D’Andre Swift, whose minor shoulder injury hasn’t limited his participation in practice but may limit him in terms of carries.

With a receiving corps already struggling to earn separation missing one-and-a-half of its most productive members and a consequently struggling Jake Fromm, who’s completed under 50% of attempted passes in, expect James Coley’s offense to focus on establishing the run to wear down LSU’s defense going into the second half.

At that point, George Pickens will be available and all bets are off.

Matchup preview: Georgia’s defense against LSU’s offense

Georgia enters the SEC Championship ranked fourth in total defense. LSU is ranked second in total offense. Something’s gotta give.

Georgia enters the SEC Championship ranked fourth in total defense behind playoff locks Ohio State and Clemson and playoff hopeful Utah. They’ve given up the fewest touchdowns (12) in FBS.

LSU’s offense is led by Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy frontrunner who recently broke the Southeastern Conference record for passing yards in a single season.

The Tigers are ranked second in total offense and thus poses the greatest threat that the historically great 2019 Georgia defense has yet seen.

Something’s gotta give, right?

It’s worth noting that LSU’s main offensive strength plays well against the Georgia defense’s primary weakness whereas the Silver Britches’ defensive strengths play well against LSU’s offensive weakness.

Maybe the Tigers shouldn’t be labeled a “pass first” offense, but they have attempted 25 more passes than runs on the year (438 to 413). The Dawgs’ secondary has been great but is at times prone to giving up chunk yardage in quick passing plays. As we saw against Auburn, Georgia’s cornerbacks tackle well but occasionally have trouble covering in quick-release short-yardage scenarios.

Without opponents stacking the box in anticipation of a possible pass, LSU’s air attack in turn opens things up for a group of tailbacks who have accumulated more yards than any of the Bulldogs’ prior competion excluding Kentucky (who have rushed for over 3000 yards this season despite only gaining 160 ground yards in a rain-plagued contest in Athens).

Behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s 1233 solo rushing yards, the Tigers have combined for 2299 yards on the ground.

Georgia’s defense is second in the nation in rushing defense, giving up 71 ground yards per game and having allowed only 16 plays of over ten yards rushing this season. They’ve given up just 852 yards this year. The Junkyard Dawgs have proven they can contain tailbacks.

With a Heisman hopeful and one of the most talented group of wide receivers in college football, LSU will almost certainly attempt more passes than runs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday. Now more than ever, expect Ed Orgeron’s Tigers to go to the air against a defense that can stop tailbacks before they get a chance to run.

For a full statistical breakdown of how the Dawgs match up against the Tigers, click here.