2020 NFL mock draft: Free agency changes team needs

By Brad Weiss | Mar 18, 2020

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Joe Burrow #9 of the LSU Tigers rolls out of the pocket during the second quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Clemson Tigers at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The LSU Tigers topped the Clemson Tigers, 42-25. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

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COLLEGE STATION, TX – OCTOBER 12: Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Xavier McKinney (15) looks over during the college football game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas A&M Aggies on October 12, 2019 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Dunn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

player. 28. . Safety. Las Vegas Raiders. Xavier McKinney. 19

The Las Vegas Raiders had a ton of issues to take care of on the defensive side of the ball heading into the new league year, and they took care of some of them via free agency. Guys like Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton significantly upgrade their linebacker corps, and they can shift their focus at No. 19 to the secondary.

Karl Joseph is entering free agency, and while they are getting Johnathan Abram back, they still have work to do at safety. Of course, they could go after a cornerback here, but there is no-one I really like at No. 19, so bringing in the best safety in this draft class outside of Isaiah Simmons makes sense.

Xavier McKinney is a guy who can come in and make an impact right away alongside Abram, bolstering a group that will also include Lamarcus Joyner and Erik Harris. All of a sudden, this Raiders defense is starting to look like a formidable group, and they are already set with talent on offense.

. Edge. Jacksonville Jaguars. K'Lavon Chaisson. 20. player. 52

The Jacksonville Jaguars hold the No. 20 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, this after trading away Jalen Ramsey during the 2019 NFL season. This offseason, the Jaguars have already been making moves to make the roster look very different this season, including trading away star edge rusher Calais Campbell.

While the team does also need cornerback help, and they could get some here, they roll the dice on a solid edge rusher from LSU to take over for Campbell. K’Lavon Chaisson is a guy who can flat out get the edge, and he would bring an animal mentality to a Jaguars defense that is looking for new leaders.

Jacksonville is going to be an interesting team to keep an eye on this season, as they have talent on both sides of the ball, but still have to figure out the quarterback spot. The Jaguars are going to be very active this offseason, as they have already traded away some big members of the defense, so now they must replace them with young talent.

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