Instant grades for both first round picks by the Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft

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The Jacksonville Jaguars bolstered their defense last night with two first round picks in cornerback C.J. Henderson and pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.

Dave Caldwell, Doug Marrone, and Shad Khan think they hit homeruns but what does the rest of the internet think?

Round 1, Pick 9: CB C.J. Henderson

SBNation: This was one of the first surprises of the first round, and it was only a mild surprise. Jacksonville’s secondary is a barren wasteland after the Jaguars moved on from Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. They needed to make this pick to help rebuild a defense that has fallen apart in the last two years.

Grade: B-

CBS Sports: I love him because he can cover. There are so many guys in the NFL that I talked to leading up to the draft that thought he was better than Jeff Okudah.

Grade: A

Sports Illustrated: It’s pretty simple: The Jaguars were strapped for cap space and had to get rid of expensive veteran A.J. Bouye and, before that, soon-to-be expensive superstar Jalen Ramsey. So they did, and to compensate, they drafted the man some see as the best corner in this year’s class. One might argue that the Jags, who play a lot more Seahawks-style zone coverage than pure man-to-man, do not need to spend so heavily for a cornerback. But in that Seahawks-style scheme, the perimeter corners often have de facto man-to-man responsibilities. Henderson can perform those duties, via both press-man and mirror technique coverage.

Grade: B+

Sporting News: The Jaguars get much-needed cornerback help after trading away both Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye and with Brown and Simmons gone for other parts of their defense. Henderson (6-1, 204 pounds) plays bigger than his size with great athleticism and technique in his favor. He just needs to get a little more physical to be trusted against receivers who rely on body positioning to get open.

Grade: B

Yahoo! Sports: The Jaguars add a defensive piece to their rebuild with Henderson, a confident, smooth cover corner whose pre-2019 tape showed the best of what he can be, even with some tackling and playmaking worries.

Grade: B+

Round 1, Pick 20: LB K’Lavon Chaisson

SBNation: When the Cowboys took Lamb instead of Chaisson, it seemed apparent this would be the pick for the Jaguars. Chaisson is a special athlete for a pass-rushing edge player. He’s a player who can stand up or rush with his hand down. Pairing Chaisson with Josh Allen gives the Jaguars two bookend edge players.

Grade: A

CBS Sports: This is a guy that has to stay on the field. When he was on the field he was productive, but he had some injury issues. He has to show that he can hold up against the run at 254 pounds.

Grade: B+

Sports Illustrated: Just like with their previous pick, the Jaguars are filling a need that was brought about by a veteran departure. Or, an upcoming veteran departure, anyway. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue wants to get paid and has been very publicly campaigning for a trade. The Jags seem likely to give him one, even though Ngakoue is an explosive, top-shelf edge-bender and Jacksonville’s Cover 3-based defensive scheme cannot work without a quality four-man pass rush.

Chaisson won’t even be 21 until July, and naturally, much of his game still needs to be developed. But his raw talent is eye-popping, and the Jags, amidst a roster overhaul, can afford to be patient here. And if last year’s first-round pick, Josh Allen, builds on his encouraging rookie season, this defense can look forward to having one of the league’s most dominant edge-rushing tandems.

Grade: B

Sporting News: The Jaguars get a steal for their defense with this pick after landing Henderson at cornerback in the top 10. They have a dicey pass-rush situation with Calais Campbell traded and Yannick Ngakoue disgruntled, and they are a little weak at linebacker next to Myles Jack and Joe Schobert. This pick addresses both issues. Chaisson (6-3, 254 pounds) has a great name for an elite, active defender who chases after QBs and RBs alike. He had 6.5 sacks and 60 tackles during LSU’s championship run, and like several teammates, his draft stock shot up throughout the season.

Grade: A+

Yahoo! Sports: The Yannick Ngakoue era in Jacksonville is clearly over now thanks to the selection of Chaisson, a traits-heavy pass rusher with versatile skills. Both the Jags’ first-round picks are attempts to correct earlier franchise mistakes, which is the only thing we don’t like about them. Are they tanking for Trevor?

Grade: B