Tag: Maurice Jones-Drew

2020 NFL Draft: Maurice Jones-Drew predicts Titans will select RB in first round

The Tennessee Titans have a need to address at running back — regardless of whether they have star rusher Derrick Henry on the team or not in 2020.

The Tennessee Titans have a need to address at running back — regardless of whether they have star rusher Derrick Henry on the team or not in 2020.

There are essentially two scenarios to look at.

Henry has already indicated his interest to stay in Tennessee next year, so if he does, that will likely come with a handsomely paid multi-year deal or a franchise tag.

In that case, the Titans will want to look into a second option behind him, whether that be in free agency or late in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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There’s always the chance Henry could not return to Nashville, putting the Titans in a position to replace him — which is exactly what NFL analyst and former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew has them doing.

With the No. 29 overall pick in the first round, Jones-Drew expects the team to select Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins.

“He’s a compact running back with good balance, instincts and ability to break tackles,” he wrote. “With Derrick Henry due to reach free agency, Dobbins could be the guy for Tennessee.”

Other options for the Titans within the draft at running back include Wisconsin’s Johnathan Taylor, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Utah’s Zack Moss.

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The Titans certainly have some decisions to make at quarterback and running back ahead of the 2020 NFL season, and it will be interesting to see how things shake out ahead of April.

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Maurice Jones-Drew slots Jags 2 Clemson Tigers in first 2020 mock

Former Jags RB Maurice Jones-Drew seems to know just what the Jags need and slotted them two stars from the Clemson Tigers’ talented roster.

If there is any analyst who understands the Jacksonville Jaguars issues quite well, it’s former running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who keeps close tabs on them. He recently released his first mock for the 2020 draft this week and it had some rather interesting selections for the Jags, who were able to land two players from the NCAA national championship game.

No. 9 – Isaiah Simmons – S

He’s a freak athlete who can cover and rush the passer.

No. 20 – Tee Higgins

Higgins reminds me of DeAndre Hopkins, as he routinely high-points the ball and wins against defenders by being physical.

I don’t think many Jags fans would complain about that outcome.

Simmons is a player we’ve seen heavily mocked to the Jags over the last few months as he’s arguably the most versatile player in the draft. He played everywhere from safety, to nickelback, to outside and inside linebacker while playing at Clemson. Of those positions, the Jags could use him the most at linebacker, which was deemed our No. 1 position of need for the Jags last month.

Higgins would also be a great addition because he would be nice to pair with Pro Bowl receiver DJ Chark Jr. Additionally, the Jags are likely to part ways with Marqise Lee while Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley will be on the last years of their respective contracts.

At 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, Higgins is a player who has given college defensive backs issues with his long frame, and with Chark by his side, he’d be able to have instant success in Jacksonville. New offensive coordinator Jay Gruden would definitely be game for this selection as it would give him what he had in A.J. Green during his rookie campaign.

Maurice Jones-Drew has Seahawks selecting CB in latest mock draft

Even though the Seattle Seahawks have not taken a cornerback in the first round since 2006, Maurice Jones-Drew mocked one to them at No. 27.

It’s common knowledge among Seattle fans that – when the Seahawks do use their first round pick – they don’t select cornerbacks.

The last time the team took a corner in the first round was in 2006 when the team took Kelly Jennings – long before the John Schneider and Pete Carroll era began.

However, with mock draft season in full effect and the team’s relatively poor performance at corner, outside of Pro Bowler Shaquill Griffin, it seems many pundits either aren’t aware or don’t care about Seattle’s apparent policy regarding cornerbacks in the first round.

The latest comes from NFL.com analyst and former running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who mocked Kristian Fulton of LSU to the Seahawks with the No. 27 overall pick.

“Fulton has size and is good in press coverage,” Jones-Drew wrote. “His best attribute is the fact that he doesn’t shy away from contact.”

At least MJD understands Seattle’s preferences for their defensive backs, as Fulton does have decent size at six feet and 200 pounds. His length is only average though, a huge part of Carroll’s MO when it comes to cornerbacks, and he has been praised more for his man coverage than his work in zone.

Still, Fulton does have a ton of physicality and athleticism, and would likely immediately take over for Tre Flowers opposite Griffin for the Seahawks.

It doesn’t look on paper like a great fit for Seattle, but with a struggling defense last year and a weak class of pass rushers, it could be time for the team to buck tradition and look for help in the secondary early in the 2020 draft.

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Maurice Jones-Drew shoots his take on Jags’ handling of Yannick Ngakoue

Jaguars great Maurice Jones-Drew says he’s heard from Yannick Ngakoue this week and had some takes on the Jags’ handling of him.

With the Super Bowl coming up, radio row has provided some quality takes for Jacksonville Jaguars fans, whether it’s from current or retired players. Former running back Maurice Jones-Drew was one of many to share his thoughts with Jacksonville’s ESPN 690AM sports station, elaborating on a wide variety of topics including Yannick Ngakoue’s contract situation.

Jones-Drew, who once dealt with a contract situation early in Shad Khan’s tenure as owner, too, stated that he felt the Jags have basically mismanaged the situation by not taking care of Ngakoue earlier.

“That [deal] should have been taken care of a long time ago,” Jones-Drew said. “Take care of it early. My parents always told me, ‘You’re gonna pay. Either you’re gonna pay now or you’re gonna pay later, but you’re gonna pay.’”

Jones-Drew’s comments echo the sentiments we’ve stressed (and many others) during the 2019 season. When reflecting on last season, the mis-step that hurt the Jags in particular was the option to pay Nick Foles, something that was ill advised because of his limited success and injury history. Lo and behold, Foles ended up suffering an unfortunate injury and the team were stuck with a $12 million cap hit for someone who only took the field for 185 snaps.

Jones-Drew added that he spoke with Ngakoue this week and stated that he didn’t want to put his full personal conversation out there but did hint at there being a communication problem.

“We did have a conversation though, yesterday, and I think the biggest thing is communication,” Jones-Drew told Brent Martineau of ESPN 690. “Don’t play the game in the media. That’s kind of where [my contract situation] went a little bit, and I refused to do that because to me we’re talking about business.

“That doesn’t need to be going in the media,” Jones-Drew added. “It needs to be face-to-face. We need to sit down and have a conversation, I can tell you how I feel, you can tell me how you feel, and we can move on. Either we agree or we don’t or we agree to disagree — it is what it is.”

After the season Jags general manager Dave Caldwell stated that he and Doug Marrone think highly of Ngakoue and wanted to make signing him the team’s top priority. He later added that he felt the deal could take some time but was one that could be done “relatively easily” and that ownership could also get involved. Khan also said he met with players after the season, and one would think Ngakoue should’ve been atop the list.

However, based on Jones-Drew comments, it appears Ngakoue and his camp possibly haven’t heard anything from the Jags. His recent social media post insinuates the same, though it’s not completely clear.

Caldwell said the team would start making decisions on veteran contracts closer to March, which will give fans an idea of what they are working with in terms of cap space. In the meantime, it appears they need to establish a better means of communication with Ngakoue (at least in his eyes) as it appears to be a divide between both parties.