2020 NFL Draft: Final Jaguars 7-round mock draft

It’s finally almost here. In what has been one of the more interesting, and confusing draft seasons to happen potentially ever, there is only a little more than 24 hours to go until the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the rest of the NFL, take the “stage” and take their shot at creating their best roster heading into the 2020-21 season.

The Jaguars are facing an interesting predicament this year. At pick No. 9, they’ll have plenty to choose from, however, their top players, of which there are four, according to Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell, will likely be gone.

The Jaguars have already had discussions with teams thus far during this year’s draft process, whether it be trading up or down, however with the draft being so unpredictable, we decided not to include any trades in this mock draft.

For the purposes of this mock draft, we used The Draft Network’s predictive mock draft simulator for “realistic” slotting, according to them.

Round 1, Pick 9: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

Brown isn’t the “sexy” pick by any means. He’s a brute force built to stop the run, and with time will generate pass rush due to his strength and power in the middle of the defensive line. The Jaguars will likely have Brown rated very high during the draft, and in their eyes the value will be there, even if they’d prefer to trade down, or up.

With Isaiah Simmons, Jeffery Okudah, Chase Young, and Tristian Wirfs already selected, the Jaguars will get their next-man-up, and Brown would make a fine addition to a defense which desperately needs help up front.

Other options: Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, CJ Henderson, Javon Kinlaw

Round 1, Pick 20: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

Jefferson is one of my favorite wide receivers in this draft class. A pro-ready receiver with NFL-level route running, he would be a great compliment to his former teammate in Jaguars receiver DJ Chark Jr.

While the Jaguars would almost definitely like to address their cornerback position at this pick, top cornerbacks such as Okudah, Henderson, and perhaps Fulton will likely be gone. The Jaguars are in desperate need at wide receiver, and head coach Doug Marrone has spoken multiple times about the team’s need to address the weapons on the team.

With the release of veteran wide receiver Marqise Lee, the Jaguars have three top-receivers on their roster with only one year left on their contract: Keelan Cole, Chris Conley, and Dede Westbrook.

If he were to fall, the Jaguars could decide to go with speedster Ruggs in this position.

Round 2, Pick 42: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn

Igbinoghene is an intriguing cornerback prospect, and Caldwell has stated prior to the draft he feels this year’s cornerback class is deep, so waiting until the second round to select one wouldn’t be too far out of the ordinary. While he is raw, Igbinoghene has shown through the last two years that he has all the potential in the world to become a starting cornerback in the NFL.

Igbinoghene lit up the NFL combine in February, running a 4.48 40-yard dash, along with jumping 37.5 inches in the vertical jump.

Jaylon Johnson, cornerback out of Utah is another player that should be on their radar due to his length and physical nature.

Round 3, Pick 73: Cam Akers, RB, Florida State

With the Jaguars very aggressively shopping running back Leonard Fournette, it is possible he won’t even be on the team when the Jaguars make this selection. Akers would bring a different dimension to the team’s offense under new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, showcasing his speed and shiftiness out of the backfield.

Gruden prefers running backs that can play more east-west rather than strictly north-south, and Akers would provide just that.

Round 4, Pick 116: Kenny Robinson, S, West Virginia

This would be an intriguing pick for a couple of reasons. For one, Robinson has been out of collegiate football for over a year now, and two he recently played football in the now-defunct XFL. Draft eligible as he is more than a year out of college football, Robinson would be a great fit with the Jaguars looking to add safety help.

The team has also reportedly spoken to the safety via a phone call or FaceTime during the pre-draft process. Robinson was expelled from West Virginia due to an academic violation of the school’s code of conduct, and decided to forego his collegiate career and test his luck in the XFL.

In his time at West Virginia, Robinson accounted for seven interceptions and 84 solo tackles through his first two seasons.

Round 4, Pick 137: Collin Johnson, WR, Texas

The Jaguars, and every team frankly, should double up on wide receivers in this deep class. In the fourth round the Jaguars would be elated to see Johnson fall as far as he did, and can pair him with Jefferson to make a dynamic duo on the outside and in the slot, respectively.

While Johnson will likely not start right away for the team, he will provide Jacksonville with a lengthy redzone target at 6-foot-6, and could end up starting down the line. Due to injuries, Johnson only played seven games last season, however during his junior year he accumulated 68 receptions for 985 yards and seven touchdowns.

Round 4, Pick 140: Trey Adams, OT, Washington

Adams is one of the players the Jaguars could be high on due to his physical and athletic profile. At 6-foot-8, 318 pounds, with 34.38-inch arms, Adams matches up perfectly — albeit a half-inch tall —, to what the Jaguars look for in an offensive tackle.

Due to medical reasons Adams falls to the Jaguars here, and could fall even further after a disappointing 2019 season, however the team acquires a former first-team All-Pac-12 player at a position of need.

Round 5, Pick 157: Larrell Murchison, DT, NC State

We reported earlier this year that the Jaguars had already met with Murchison during the Senior Bowl, and with this selection in round five they will have completed their hunt for interior defensive linemen with the pass rusher out of NC State.

Murchison is an interesting prospect, with quick-twitch ability inside. He accumulated seven sacks and 24 solo tackles last season for the Wolf Pack.

Round 5, Pick 165: Trevis Gipson, EDGE, Tulsa

The Jaguars will need to address the defensive end position at some point in this year’s draft. Especially after (soon to be) former Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue once again expressed his intentions to not play for Jacksonville next season.

Gipson could be a steal when it’s all said in done as the flexible, long-limbed edge rusher out of Tulsa showed off at the senior bowl and throughout his career, accumulating 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks last season.

Round 6, Pick 189: Kevin Dotson, Guard, Louisiana-Lafayette

A small school product, Dotson is an intriguing option along the Jaguars offensive line, which has desperately needed depth at the guard position for the past few seasons. With Dotson the team gets a potential stud in the interior.

With great power, Dotson does need to work on his technique a bit at the next level which is partly why he will likely fall into day three, although potentially not this far.

Round 6, Pick 206: Deejay Dallas, RB, Miami

After the Jaguars selected Akers, they could still double up at the position as it is a deep running back class this year. Dallas represents a smooth rusher who has solid burst. Although he may not be a burner, Dallas has a knack for getting away from his opponents.

The Jaguars add yet another pass-catching back to finalize their running back group heading into the offseason program.

Round 7, Pick 223: Francis Benard, LB, Utah

While it is not yet known how far Benard will fall due to this year’s linebacker class being relatively weak, he is a player the Jaguars have met with on multiple occasions, according to JaguarReport. He is a rangy linebacker out of Utah, with the ability to play in multiple spots along the second level.

Benard accounted for 85 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and two interceptions last season.