Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Legendary work in the field of mediocrity.
Every team has its good draft classes and its bad ones. Times where organizations unearth diamonds in the mid-rounds, years a key player fell into their laps, and occasions where they totally whiff on a first round pick. Once in a great while you might land a legendary class that nets multiple starters with a couple of Pro Bowlers, and as difficult as it is to hit that well in the draft, it’s equally impressive to find a way to screw the process so completely you wind up with nothing.
It’s time we recognize the 2020 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the worst in the history of the NFL.
Before we dive into just how putrid this class was, keep in mind that this is simply the worst collection of picks a team has ever made. The Jaguars made it through the other side. The franchise is fine today, and the 2020 class didn’t doom the franchise. There have been plenty of examples of draft picks that completely derailed the future of an organization or trades so bad they set a team back for years. This isn’t one of these stories, but rather an organization that managed to make 12 picks in one class, and didn’t find a SINGLE good player among them.
1st round, No. 9 overall: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida
Henderson lasted one season with the Jaguars before they realized he was bad. In 2021 he was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a 5th round pick and TE Dan Arnold (who is no longer in the NFL).
Could have been … WR Justin Jefferson, WR CeeDee Lamb
1st round, No. 20 overall: DE K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU
This pick came to Jacksonville from the Rams when they traded for Jalen Ramsey. Henderson was supposed to be the heir apparent for Ramsey, while Chaisson was drafted to boost the pass rush. Ultimately he totaled five sacks in four seasons and left via free agency. He is not currently on an NFL roster.
Could have been … RB Jonathan Taylor, ILB Patrick Queen
2nd round, No 42 overall: WR Laviska Shenault Jr, Colorado
Shenault actually managed to have two okay-ish seasons with the Jaguars before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. The issue is that he had hands of stone and wasn’t reliable enough in the Doug Pederson offense. He is now a special teams player for the Seattle Seahawks.
Could have been … S Antoine Winfield Jr.
3rd round, No. 73: DT DaVon Hamilton, Ohio State
We found a guy still on the roster! Hamilton is not good. He got a shot as starter in 2022, but was so poor he was shifted out and became a rotational lineman. At least the Jaguars still have him.
4th round, No. 116: OG Ben Bartch, St. John’s
They tried him at tackle and it didn’t work. He moved to guard, and it didn’t work. Now he’s on the 49ers as a backup center.
4th round, No. 137: CB Josiah Scott, Michigan
Scott lasted one season on the Jaguars before being cut. He signed with the Eagles, played in several games — but currently he’s unsigned.
4th round, No. 140: LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami
Never made an impact beyond being a rotational linebacker. Was cut by the Jaguars, signed and cut by the Eagles, now he’s a special teamer for the Chargers.
5th round, No. 157: S Daniel Thomas, Auburn
Another guy who is still on the team! Don’t be too excited though, because he hasn’t started a game since 2021 and he’s a special teams player.
5th round, No. 165: WR Collin Johnson, Texas
Was cut after one season, but is still in the NFL as a special teams player for the Chicago Bears.
6th round, No. 189: QB Jake Luton, Oregon State
Lasted one season. Made three starts where he threw two TDs and six interceptions.
6th round, No. 206: TE Tyler Davis, Georgia Tech
Cut after one season in Jacksonville. Now a depth player for the Green Bay Packers.
7th round, No. 223: CB Chris Claybrooks, Memphis
Started six games in three years. Received two domestic violence charges in 2023. No longer in the NFL.
What went wrong with this class?
Everything. Whatever pre-draft process the Jaguars had was spectacularly bad. They managed to amass a ton of picks to try and reshape both sides of the ball, and failed to find anyone.
The total result of the Jaguars 2020 NFL Draft class:
12 picks
0 starters
2 players still on the team
It’s not just that the Jaguars missed out on the stars that littered the 2020 class, but they couldn’t find a single starter with 12 draft picks. For comparison in the same 2020 draft the woefully inept Carolina Panthers found three NFL starters with only seven picks.
Managing to fail at everything in a draft is a monumental achievement, and worthy of the award of having the worst single draft class of all time. Congratulations to the Jaguars.
