2021 Pro Bowl selections serve as a harsh reminder of Jaguars' 2020 draft failures

In a year in which the Jacksonville Jaguars don't have a single player represented in the Pro Bowl, it is only right for two different second-year players who should be Jaguars to instead earn the nods as NFL all-stars.

Leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, the Jaguars were as well-positioned as any team to make a big splash. Equipped with the No. 9 overall pick and the No. 20 overall pick as a result of the Jalen Ramsey trade, the Jaguars had two picks in the top-20 to make noise and overhaul their roster. 

Instead, the Jaguars' two selections in the first-round -- cornerback CJ Henderson and pass-rusher K'Lavon Chaisson -- have played a big part in the Jaguars going 3-27 since that fateful draft night. 

Meanwhile, two of the players the Jaguars let slip just past them -- right tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Justin Jefferson -- are each making the Pro Bowl roster and establishing themselves as two of the best young players in the entire NFL at their respectful positions. 

It normally takes at least three years to judge a draft class, but that much time is not needed when it comes to Henderson, Chaisson, Wirfs, and Jefferson. The lines have clearly been drawn on who is a top player and prospect and who is not, and the Jaguars found themselves on the wrong side both times.

Taking Henderson over Wirfs was a bit controversial at the time simply because Henderson wasn't seen as a consensus top-10 prospect. He was widely regarded as the draft's second best cornerback by many, however, and the Jaguars needed to take a cornerback early after the Ramsey and A.J. Bouye trades. 

Wirfs, meanwhile, was a star at Iowa and was right there for the picking at No. 9 overall. He was passed on and eventually fell to Tampa Bay at No. 13 overall, then going onto playing a massive role in Tampa Bay's Super Bowl run. The Jaguars had just drafted Jawaan Taylor a year previously, but they also had left tackle Cam Robinson entering the year on the final year of his contract. 

Tackle may not have been a clear and immediate need, but the idea of taking a tackle to replace Robinson or even move Taylor was certainly brought up by fans, analysts, and media alike. The Jaguars, of course, took Henderson and entrusted Robinson and Taylor as the Jaguars' tackles for the next two seasons.

Since then, Henderson played in only 10 games for the Jaguars, recording one interception and six pass deflections in his short career as a Jaguar. He battled injuries and the question of whether he was truly bought into being an NFL cornerback, leading to him eventually being traded to the Carolina Panthers for a third-round pick and Dan Arnold after just three games this year. 

Henderson's short tenure as a Jaguar is among the least productive the Jaguars have ever seen from a top pick. Meanwhile, Wirfs is one of the best offensive tackles in the entire NFL after just two seasons and has given the Buccaneers a blue-chip lineman to build their future around. 

To think Wirfs wouldn't have been an upgrade over Robinson or Taylor is foolish. But instead, the Jaguars drafted for need as opposed to best player available and found themselves burned.

The second first-round pick went even worse for the Jaguars. With the Jaguars having a glaring need at wide receiver across from DJ Chark, the Jaguars opted to wait until the second-round to add to the offense, instead taking Chaisson with the Rams' first-round selection. 

Chaisson was misused in the Jaguars' 4-3 defense as a rookie but still had just a few flashes of pass-rushing prowess. Chaisson has found more of a home in the Jaguars' new multiple 3-4 defense, but not as a pass-rusher -- instead as a strong side linebacker who plays more in coverage and against the run than as a pass rusher. 

But through 30 career games, Chaisson has as many sacks (two) as Jefferson has Pro Bowls. Chaisson has 13 career quarterback hits and has not recorded one since Week 5 as his role as a pass-rusher has been reduced more and more each week. The pass-rusher the Jaguars were hoping would replace Yannick Ngakoue and grow alongside Josh Allen has instead become a serviceable defender in space, but not one you want rushing the passer on third-downs.

Meanwhile, through two seasons Jefferson has caught 177 passes for 2,735 yards and 16 touchdowns. In that same span, the Jaguars' most productive receivers have recorded production that barely approaches half of what Jefferson has done. For a team that has no alpha receiver and no wideouts who can create separation underneath, Jefferson could have been everything the Jaguars were missing.

There are countless reasons why Henderson didn't work out in Jacksonville and why Chaisson's prospects as an NFL pass-rusher are too murky to justify with the No. 20 pick. But the Jaguars had clear chances to make the right picks in 2020, and simply let themselves make critical mistakes the team is still suffering from. 

At the end of this year, Wirfs and Jefferson will continue to ascend to the top of the rankings of players at tackle and receiver. They are already among the best in the NFL. But as they play in the Pro Bowl, the Jaguars' new coaching staff will have to find a place for Chaisson in their future -- if there is one -- while Henderson takes snaps for the Panthers.

The draft is a crapshoot, and the Jaguars lost big on their gambles. This is clear each Sunday, but this year's Pro Bowl selections drive it home even more.