Who Do Jaguars Land in Sports Illustrated’s 2020 NFL Re-Draft?

If the Jacksonville Jaguars had a time machine, they surely would go back to the 2020 draft and do things a bit differently ... right? 

The Jaguars entered the 2020 NFL Draft with two first-round picks as a result of the Jalen Ramsey trade. With the No. 9 and No. 20 overall picks, a young roster that had been depleted by releases and trades in an effort to rebuild, and no long-term answer at quarterback, the Jaguars' possibilities were endless.

The Jaguars went on to select Florida cornerback CJ Henderson with the No. 9 pick and LSU pass-rusher K'Lavon Chaisson with the No. 20 pick. Chaisson is still with the team and is expected to enter the season with higher expectations than a year previously, while Henderson was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021. 

Henderson started hot in his rookie season, then notably missed eight games with an injury. The next offseason offseason, he missed much of the work due to another injury and then he spent time on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He missed most of training camp before returning to start the 2021 opener, but was quickly traded afterward. 

Henderson ultimately recorded 44 tackles, one tackle for loss, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, and an interception in 10 career games with the Jaguars.

The rest of the story for the 2020 Jaguars is already known. The Jaguars won their season opener before dropping 15 games in a row, finishing with a 1-15 record and the first No. 1 pick in franchise history -- a pick that ended up becoming franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

But what if the Jaguars got another crack at the top-10 pick? And what about the No. 20 pick after Chaisson has yet to rack up sacks in the NFL?

That is the question Sports Illustrated asked in their re-draft of the 2020 class. And with a chance to go back a few years, we get a chance to see who SI thinks the Jaguars should have drafted with the benefit of hindsight. 

And in this scenario, the Jaguars double-dip by selecting pass-rusher Alex Highsmith at No. 9 and then following that up with a sliding Chase Young at No. 20.

"Edge rushers go fast and early in most NFL drafts. But this crop of edge rushers has been inconsistent through three seasons. So, Highsmith gets the nod here after a breakout 2022 season. Highsmith had career highs in sacks (14.5) quarterback hits (20) and forced fumbles (five). He also stepped up as the Steelers’ No. 1 edge rusher, while T.J. Watt was sidelined due to injury. Originally, Highsmith was drafted in the third round at pick No. 102," SI said. 

"Young’s draft-day slide ends here. After a memorable rookie season, Young has struggled on the field and has been hamstrung by injuries the past two years, playing only a combined 12 games. Perhaps Young regains his 2020 form during a contract season," SI continued.