Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at every team in the NFL, in order of projected 2025 win totals. Up next: the Jaguars.
Jacksonville drew plenty of criticism for its aggressive pursuit of new coach Liam Coen, who shot up the coaching ranks for his impressive lone season as Tampa Bay’s offensive play-caller.
It got messy at times, but the Jaguars got their guy after Coen initially withdrew from the coaching search. That led to the organization hiring 34-year-old James Gladstone as the new GM, a former coworker of Coen’s from their days with the Los Angeles Rams.
The new partnership, which also includes executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli, quickly turned over the roster. They said goodbye to Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Andre Cisco and Brandon Scherff.
Their biggest offseason move occurred after the bombshell draft-day trade for Travis Hunter, moving up from No. 5 to select the dynamic two-way player with the second pick. The risky move cost the organization a 2026 first-round pick, which went to the Cleveland Browns. Still, the Jaguars can no longer afford to wait for the future, as quarterback Trevor Lawrence heads into his fifth season.
Let’s take a closer look at the 2025 Jaguars.
What’s at stake this season: Lawrence’s untapped potential
It’s now on Coen to get the best out of Lawrence and help him recapture the superstar form he displayed in his breakout 2022 season.
Touchdown passes don’t necessarily define a quarterback, but Lawrence has never gone over 25 in a season. For comparison, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield, Coen’s former quarterback, all threw for more than 40 touchdowns last season. Lawrence’s annual average salary of $55 million per year says the team expects him to play like those aforementioned signal-callers.
Coen has the skill-position talent around Lawrence, similar to what he had for Mayfield in Tampa. The wide receiver duo of Brian Thomas Jr. and Hunter will put plenty of pressure on opposing defenses, but the offensive line will need to hold up for Lawrence to hit the deep ball consistently.
Lawrence has taken plenty of hits the past two seasons and was sidelined for seven games in 2024 due to a shoulder injury and concussion.
Biggest question going into training camp: Can Coen and the staff improve the defense?
It’s unknown whether Coen can oversee a defense or if he’s more of a hands-off coach in this area. If so, did he and Gladstone make the right move by opting for first-time defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile? After ranking near the bottom of most major statistical categories last season, this defense will need plenty of attention.
The new coaching staff has a handful of intriguing players, including edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, Tyson Campbell and veteran newcomer Jourdan Lewis. The secondary could also get a boost from Hunter if he is capable of playing both sides of the field.
Sources are saying: Doubts about Hunter playing both sides
“His heart is on offense and if it gets too complicated, challenging and demanding, then that’s where he’ll end up. Defensively is where it will be the toughest, both physically and mentally,” —a former NFL head coach
Breakout player candidate/X-factor: Walker
Walker has been judged unfairly in his first three seasons because he’s often compared to Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, the player drafted right after Walker became the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft. Still, some of the criticism is fair because Walker needs to find another gear in his game to be a dominant playmaker, which is expected from a former top pick.
With Hutchinson, it’s easy to see the impact he makes at the line of scrimmage even on the plays that don’t end in sacks. Walker has made the most of his opportunities playing next to Hines-Allen, recording 10.5 sacks in each of his past two seasons.
Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking: 23
The Jaguars were tough to rank. Coen has been an excellent offensive coach with the Rams and Buccaneers for years, but he’s also a first-time head coach for a team rebuilding. Lawrence has been dealing with injuries and middling play since 2022. He is talented, but the Jaguars need him to play like it. Coen might be the right man to get that result. —Matt Verderame
Fantasy pick: Brenton Strange
The Jaguars passing game will look new this season, as the team traded Kirk and cut Davis and Engram. One of the players who figures to benefit from their absences is Strange, who is projected to be a starter. He showed some flashes of upside in his second NFL season, and Lawrence likes to throw to his tight ends. He might not be a top-12 fantasy option, but Strange has some deep-sleeper appeal in the late rounds of 2025 drafts. —Michael Fabiano
Best bet: Over 7.5 wins (-110) via FanDuel
I might be the last Jaguars believer left north of Florida, but there’s no question that Lawrence now has the best offensive coach he’s had in his NFL career. They have the pieces on both sides of the ball, and I’m convinced that if they can put things together, they can contend in the AFC South. Don’t be surprised if Hunter makes enough of an impact on both sides of the ball to lift the Jaguars to at least eight wins this season. —Iain MacMillan
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 32 Teams in 32 Days: Liam Coen Charged With Getting the Most Out of Trevor Lawrence.
