2020 NFL Draft: How Will Chase Young's NFL Decision Impact the Jaguars?

Chase Young's NFL Draft status is up in the air, so how could that affect Jacksonville?

Some NFL draft headlines were made on Saturday when it came to potential No. 1 overall pick, and likely top-three pick, defense end Chase Young from Ohio State. Young, a true junior who is a Heisman Trophy finalist, told TMZ Sports IN New York City on Friday that returning to school for his senior year is, "the plan".

Chase Young Says 'Plan' Is To Return to OSU, Not Thinking About Draft https://t.co/ihhyCadqNg

— TMZ (@TMZ) December 14, 2019

Now, this could obviously change. Frankly, it will probably change. Young wouldn't be the first 19-year old to change his mind about his NFL future and Young is set up to be a top pick in any NFL draft he enters, so he has his options open. 

Young had a dominant 2019 campaign despite missing two games due to suspension. He leads the nation in sacks (16.5) and has 44 tackles, 21 for loss and seven forced fumbles this season.

But in the off chance that Young does decide to take time on his NFL decision and, potentially even decide to return to school, it is worth looking at how Young's decision could impact the Jacksonville Jaguars' draft interests. 

As of today, Jacksonville is slated to have the No. 7 overall pick and the No. 20 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. If Young does declare, there is virtually no chance he would fall to Jacksonville's first pick unless they pick within the first four picks. This was, of course, said about Josh Allen last year, but Young is held in higher regard almost unanimously as a prospect.

Photo via Tankathon.com

If the draft order stands as it is today, it could be assumed that one of the New York Giants, Washington, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions or Arizona Cardinals would take Young. 

The Cincinnati Bengals will almost positively take a quarterback, while Miami could realistically do the same. New York and Washington have holes all over while the Lions' defense is putrid. Arizona will likely pick the top-ranked offensive lineman to try to protect 2019 No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray, but it would be hard for any team to pass on Young despite their needs.

It also has to be factored in that while Jacksonville will likely grade Young as one of the top prospects, it is unlikely they select him at any point. They took an edge rusher in the first round last year in Allen and depending on what happens this offseason with Yannick Ngakoue's contract status, Jacksonville could have two premier edge rushers.

So what Young does will likely not impact Jacksonville's draft plans, but if he stays in school it would mean one less prospect available for Jacksonville to pick that may have been in their plans. With Young off the board, other players could get pushed up draft boards, such as Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas or a number of other players.

So essentially, it is a near 0% chance Young will be a Jaguar no matter what. However, what move he makes for his NFL future will impact the entire draft and especially a team like Jacksonville who is picking so high in the first round.