Highlights of every Jaguars selection in 2020 NFL draft

With the 2020 NFL Draft wrapped up, here are highlights of each selection.

Seven draftees on defense and five on offense. That’s the ratio the Jacksonville Jaguars finished with when all of their 2020 NFL Draft selections were made.

To open the draft on Day 1, the Jags selected two Southeastern Conference defenders in C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson. On Day 2 they finally went offense by taking receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. but ended the day by going back to the defensive side with defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton.

In round four the acquired some help on the offensive line by selecting Ben Bartch, then closed the round with two more defensive selections in linebacker Shaq Quarterman and cornerback Josiah Scott. In round five they added a player on each side of the ball by taking safety Daniel Thomas, then receiver Collin Johnson.

In the sixth round, they finally went all offense by snagging quarterback Jake Luton and tight end Tyler Davis and their last selection, taking in round seven, was another defensive back in Chris Claybrooks.

Here’s a set of highlights for all 12 picks made by general manager Dave Caldwell on Thursday and the weekend:

1.9: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida


1.20: EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, Louisiana State


2.42: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado


3.72: DT DaVon Hamilton, Ohio State


4.116: OL Ben Bartch, St. John


Jaguars select Miami (FL) LB Shaquille Quarterman with pick No. 140

The Jags pulled the trigger on a Jacksonville native in Miami LB Shaquille Quarterman for pick No. 140.

The Jacksonville Jaguars continued to fill needs on the defense with the selection of Shaquille Quarterman in the fourth round (selection No. 140). Quarterman is a local prospect from Orange Park, FL. and attended Oakleaf High School before moving on to the University of Miami.

Quarterman is coming off a 2019 season in which he garnered first-team All-ACC honors as a senior after racking up 107 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, and 1.0 sack. He started all 52 games in college, which was a school record for consecutive starts.

With the depth at linebacker looking shaky, this selection makes a lot of sense. That’s especially the case after coach Doug Marrone informed the media that the Jags would be moving to a 3-4 defensive scheme on base downs.

Quarterman will get the chance to learn from veteran linebackers Myles Jack and the newly acquired, former Pro-Bowler, Joe Schobert. He’ll also get to learn from the Jags young linebackers in Leon Jacobs and Quincy Williams. Marrone also brought up in the aforementioned conference call making physicality and tackling a priority. Their moves in free agency, along with the selections they’ve made thus far in the front seven, certainly reflect that concern.

Jaguars select LB Shaquille Quarterman with 4th-round pick from Bears

The Bears traded their 4th-round pick to the Jaguars for QB Nick Foles. The Jags used that pick to grab LB Shaquille Quarterman.

The Chicago Bears don’t pick until the fifth round on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft, but they were supposed to have a fourth-round selection.

That is, until they traded it to the Jacksonville Jaguars for quarterback Nick Foles earlier this offseason.

With the 140th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft — originally a fourth-round compensatory pick for safety Adrian Amos — the Jaguars selected Miami linebacker Shaquille Quarterman.

Considering Foles was able to restructure his contract in a way that won’t financially strap the Bears, a fourth-round pick seems a reasonable price for a former Super Bowl MVP that’s coming in to compete for the starting quarterback job with Mitchell Trubisky.

When all is said and done, a fourth-round pick for a potential starting quarterback with a Super Bowl win might be worth it.

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NFL Draft 2020: A LB in every round for the Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Draft 2020: A LB in every round for the Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are just hours from making virtual draft history and as we take a look at the prospects on a round by round basis, linebacker could become a position of need in the middle to late rounds.

With the Eagles set to be on the clock, here’s a linebacker in every round for the Eagles.

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1.Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma

Murray has been rumored to the Eagles for weeks now and the playmaking linebacker would add a dimension at linebacker that the franchise has never had.

A thumper who can excel in coverage, Murray is a few missed tackles away from being a top-15 player. Murray can improve as a pass rusher, but his ability to control gaps could translate well to the NFL.

2020 NFL draft: The best LB for the Ravens in each round

The Baltimore Ravens need serious help at inside linebacker but they have a ton of options available to them in the 2020 NFL Draft.

One of the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest needs entering the 2020 NFL Draft is at inside linebacker. After decades of having great play at linebacker with guys like Ray Lewis and C.J. Mosley, Baltimore has been trying to find their next star at the position with no luck. After revamping their defensive line this offseason and having a stacked secondary, inside linebacker remains one of the only positions keeping the Ravens from having a truly legendary unit.

Though all the attention will go to prospects in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Baltimore could find key contributors throughout the entire draft. While typical three-down linebackers will go in the first round, the Ravens can find players for niche roles (playing the run or dropping into coverage) all the way to the seventh round if they wish.

With that in mind, I wanted to identify who would be the top target at linebacker in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Some of these players might fall into Baltimore’s lap when they pick and others will require the Ravens to trade up to go get them. But these are the best of the best of each round in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

1st round: LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

You don’t get any better than Simmons in this draft, which is why he’s widely considered the top linebacker prospect and expected to go in the top 10. However, there is a little contention over where Simmons ends up playing in the NFL. As a more athletic player with insane speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine), Simmons might be better suited to playing safety than a traditional three-down linebacker role.

The Ravens love that type of versatility and would be able to do so many things with a player of Simmons’ caliber. Just imagining defensive coordinator Don Martindale moving Simmons all over the field likely has Baltimore drooling. With a ton of upside, Simmons could be a star in the right scheme and it’s easy to see how the Ravens would be the exact right fit for him.

The problem here is that Baltimore is going to have to absolutely love Simmons for him to be even considered an option. In order to have a shot at drafting Simmons, the Ravens will have to move up pretty far. Even if Simmons falls a little bit, the amount Baltimore would have to give up in a trade to go get him makes it extremely unlikely it happens. Still, for an article pointing to the best in each round, Simmons is that guy in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Meet Shaquille Quarterman, Miami’s hard-hitting LB prospect

Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Miami linebacker prospect Shaquille Quarterman

Durability, production, and a motor that never stops. Three things that every NFL team wants in a linebacker prospect, and three things that Miami’s Shaquille Quarterman brings to the table.

One of the most experienced and productive linebackers in the 2020 NFL draft class, Quarterman recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, why it was important for him to finish what he started at Miami, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.

JM: You had a great senior season. You posted 107 total tackles, 15.5 of which went for a loss. What is it about your game that lead to that sort of production?

SQ: I just think that my mentality was at such a high level this year. My coaches put me in such a great position to succeed. They’ve always put me in a position to be a successful linebacker. All I had to do was go out there and do it. I really have to give all praise to our coaching staff. They helped me prepare for this season.

JM: You made 52 starts without missing a single game. It’s amazing how durable you’ve been.

SQ: I honestly just listen to my mentors: Jon Beason, Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams. All three of them played the linebacker position at such a high level, and they’ve given me such great advice. They taught me the importance of taking care of your body. They showed me that longevity and being available is the key to success. I took their advice and I just ran with it.

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JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?

SQ: It was definitely interesting, to say the least. I really enjoyed it. It was a process, and there are parts of the process that were grueling, such as waiting around for hours at the hospital for the medical checks. I really enjoyed it, though. When it finally came time to compete, it felt a little like the recruitment process in high school. You’re just going out there alongside your peers and performing in front of all 32 teams. It gave me a chance to show that I belong.

JM: What do you think is the overall impression that you left out there?

SQ: I felt like I was well-received out there. There were a lot of people that weren’t giving me that much attention prior to the combine. We didn’t have a very good season, and that can sometimes lead to a guy getting overlooked. I feel like I showed up to every event and performed at a high level. I turned a lot of heads in the bench press.

I worked my hardest all the way until the end. I think my energy remained at a high level throughout the on-field drills, as well. I had a great time getting to know a lot of the coaches. There were so many great people there.

JM: Did you have a lot of formal interviews out there?

SQ: I had a couple of informals. I enjoyed them. I also met formally with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants.

JM: That’s great. Do you have any private visits coming up?

SQ: I’m actually meeting with the Bills tomorrow (March 10th), and the Giants in early April. I’m taking a visit to Houston to meet with the Texans, as well. Those are the three that we currently have scheduled.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the linebacker position?

SQ: My favorite part about playing linebacker is definitely quieting the crowd down. You can do a lot of damage as a linebacker. Making a big play on defense really quiets the home crowd. I love that. If you’re playing on the road and force a turnover, that’s such a great feeling. The entire stadium minus our fans just stop making noise. They go dead silent. You can hear a pin drop. That’s such an amazing feeling. I just love making that impact on the game.

JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?

SQ: Truthfully, I didn’t really get any strange questions. Everything was straight forward. We just talked about our defense and football in general. I had talked to a bunch of my ex-teammates who have gone through the process and they told me about all the strange questions that they were asked. I didn’t get any though. I guess I’ve been well behaved (laughs).

JM: Who are some of the best players you’ve played against throughout your time at Miami?

SQ: Dalvin Cook definitely comes to mind. I really enjoyed playing against him. He’s such a great player. Jonathan Taylor was another one. Those two guys were a lot of fun to play against.

JM: You’ve had so many great teammates throughout your time at Miami, but if you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would you bring and why?

SQ: Michael Pinckney. We’ve been together for four years straight. He means a lot to me. We came in at the same time. We’re actually from the same city. We got to finish what we started. It means that much more to us. I remember when I first got to Miami as a freshman, I was talking to an older player that told me you don’t always get to finish with who you started with. I started to realize over time that that was the honest truth.

Michael and I got to start and finish together. Michael and I stayed together through it all. We played side by side. We sat next to each other in the meeting room. We never switched it up. He’s definitely a special guy.

JM: When a team uses one of their draft picks on Shaquille Quarterman, what kind of guy are they getting?

SQ: They’re getting a guy that’s all about the team. I’m gonna follow the standard that’s set by the organization and represent them with a smile on my face. That’s what I did in high school, that’s what I’ve done at Miami and it’s what I’m gonna do at the next level as well. I’m dependable and accountable. I’m also a great football player at the end of the day. I’m all about the team. You can’t go wrong with drafting a guy like that.

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