Jacksonville Jaguars: Grades for every 2020 NFL Draft pick

The Jacksonville Jaguars rebuild is in full swing and got off to a great start in the 2020 NFL Draft. Grading every pick the Jags made.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the busiest teams in the 2020 NFL Draft, making 12 picks across the three-day event. And given the current state of affairs in the franchise, you could make the argument that they needed every one of them.

Seeming to be in the midst of a rebuild, the Jaguars laid a very strong foundation for the work that will be needed going forward.

So with that, here are the grades for every Jacksonville Jaguars draft pick that they made in 2020.

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

After trading Jalen Ramsey in the middle of the 2019 season and A.J. Bouye at the beginning of March, the Jaguars were without their starting two cornerbacks. Henderson was the consensus CB2 in the draft and will immediately be plugged into a starting role.

Grade: A-

Round 1, Pick 20: K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

This was one of the better picks of the first round. The Jags adding Chaisson to the other side of Josh Allen along with Taven Bryan in the middle gives them a young, promising front four.

Grade: A

Round 2, Pick 42: Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado

Jacksonville went receiver very early when they really didn’t need to. While they let go of Marqise Lee, they still had solid depth at the position. Regardless, Shenault is explosive with the ball in his hands. If he can stay healthy, he will be a difference-maker for Jacksonville.

Grade: C+

Round 3, Pick 73: Davon Hamilton, DL, Ohio State:

Taking Hamilton here was a reach. Many had him as a late-round pick and see him as a special teams contributor. Nonetheless, he was a Day 2 pick which could mean that Jacksonville hopes he can be a solid contributor in the defensive line rotation.

Grade: D

Round 4, Pick 116: Ben Bartch, OT, St. John’s (MN)

The former tight end turned offensive lineman could end up being one of the steals of the draft. While it isn’t apparent what Jacksonville has planned for Bartch, the options are endless. They could eventually put him at left tackle and move Cam Robinson inside, they could put him at right tackle or even on the interior. Regardless, the D-III product will take some grooming up until that point.

Grade: B+

Round 4, Pick 137: Josiah Scott, CB, Michigan State

Scott finished second in the Big Ten with three interceptions to go along with eight pass breakups. His small 5-9 frame and an injury in 2018 may have had to do with him slipping to the fourth round but his quick feet and ability to recover in coverage could make him a solid rotational piece in the Jaguars secondary.

Grade: B-

Round 4, Pick 140: Shaquille Quarterman, LB, Miami

Quarterman established himself as a true force in his four-year stint with the Hurricanes. He finished in the top 10 in career tackles and tackles for loss in ACC history. He will be a fine No. 2 behind the newly acquired Joe Schobert.

Grade: B+

Round 5, Pick 157: Daniel Thomas, S, Auburn

Thomas was very good when inside the box at Auburn. He is good at covering the run but needs to improve in deep coverage if he ever wants to be inserted into a secondary rotation on a consistent basis. That said, he could be a solid special teamer while working on those skills.

Grade: C

Round 5, Pick 165: Collin Johnson, WR, Texas

It wasn’t expected that the Jaguars would go receiver Day 2, so the fact that they drafted an additional wideout in the fifth round just seemed unnecessary. All of that aside, Johnson would have gone higher if not for only playing seven games due to injury, so maybe this turns out to be a solid pick down the road after all.

Grade: C

Round 6, Pick 189: Jake Luton, QB, Oregon State

While it appears that Gardner Minshew will be the man at the helm this year, Luton is a guy who could give some level of competition that Josh Dobbs wasn’t going to give. Luton had a stellar senior campaign with the Beavers, throwing for 28 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

While it seems he will be competing with Dobbs for the No. 2 spot, the Jags could end up throwing him in at some point in the regular season if the team is at the point where they just need to see what else they have.

Grade: B

Round 6, Pick 206: Tyler Davis, TE, Georgia Tech

There really isn’t a lot to tell about Davis. He was a quarterback turned wide receiver at Connecticut before transferring to Georgia Tech in his fifth year of eligibility and becoming a tight end. He doesn’t seem to have a set position to really know what he could become. He is a project of a pick.

Grade: F

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Round 7, Pick 223: Chris Claybrooks, CB, Memphis

Claybrooks had a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last season, and that seems to be where his best chance at making the team will come. He played on offense as both a running back and receiver in junior college before moving to the secondary when he transferred to Memphis. The lack of experience hindered him but his return skills are noticeable.