2020 NFL Draft: First-round AFC South grades

Here are grades for each 2020 NFL Draft pick in the first round by the teams of the AFC South.

Though the Houston Texans currently don’t have a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, AFC South rivals of the Texans are still doing their part to make their rosters better as the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans are all involved in first-round selections. The Texans and Indianapolis Colts didn’t have a first round pick this year.

Below is an updated list of grades for first-round picks by teams in the AFC South, the division the Texans have won the past two seasons.

Player Profile: In three seasons at Florida, C.J. Henderson played in 30 games for the Gators with 66 career solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, six interceptions, two touchdowns, 20 passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

In ’19, Henderson played in nine games, where he had 26 solo tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and an impressive 11 passes defensed.

Pick Opinion: This is a nice selection made by the Jacksonville Jaguars, as he’s very good in coverage. Let’s be honest, with quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson (Texans), Ryan Tannehill (Titans) and the newly acquired Philip Rivers (Colts),  solid defensive back play is key for the Jaguars getting back on track to where the defense was a few short seasons ago when they had Jalen Ramsey playing at an unbelievable level. When the Jaguars won the AFC South in 2017 and went to the AFC Championship game, it was because of their stout defense that season.

Draft Pick Grade: A-

Player Profile: The Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft are gaining a player in K’Lavon Chaisson who in three seasons at LSU played in 24 total games, with his final season with the Tigers being his best. In 2019, Chaisson totaled 60 tackles, but 34 of those were solo, plus his pass rush skills were on point as well with 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Chaisson also had two passes defensed and a forced fumble as he was a member of the national championship LSU team.

Pick Opinion: In terms for how this pick affects the Houston Texans, well, this is scary for Deshaun Watson. Chaisson will make things hard on the opposing quarterback and the opposing rushing game, too. The Jaguars aren’t messing around when it comes to this draft to repair their struggling defense, with both 2020 NFL Draft first round selections going to the defensive side of the ball.

When learning about this draft the past few months, one player who would have fit well with the Texans defense was Chaisson because of his athletic ability and his talent to play in any type of defensive set.

Give credit where credit is due, and that praise goes to Jacksonville and the Jaguars’ draft decision makers. This was an excellent pick that will keep the AFC South offensive coaches awake for years to come if he’s able to stay healthy in his NFL career.

Draft Grade: A

Player Profile: The Tennessee Titans needed to replace Jack Conklin as he left the Titans in free agency, and that player is Georgia offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson.

Wilson is projected as a starter within his first two years in the NFL by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, but that will now most likely be this upcoming season where Wilson will be a starter. At the combine in February, the offensive tackle ran a 5.32 40-yard dash and had 26 reps in the 225 pound bench press.

Wilson played in 14 games in 2018 and 11 games in 2019, as he was a redshirt sophomore. He finished his final collegiate season as an All-SEC second-team selection.

Pick Opinion: Though there is work to be done with Wilson’s technique in certain areas of his game, he’s going to get to block for Derrick Henry, and when a player gets a chance to block for a player of Henry’s skillset, that will only make Wilson a better player as he learns the pro game too. The Texans now must add to their defensive line, because if they don’t they are going to get passed by the Titans in the regular season this time around, and not just in the playoffs.

The Titans did what they needed to do here to replace Conklin (who left Tennessee via free agency), and being one game away from the Super Bowl, the Titans are just as tough to beat as they were in their playoff run.

Draft Grade: B