The Jacksonville Jaguars have made their decisions on moving forward with Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell, which now means fans can now look forward to free-agency and the draft. If there was one thing that can be taken away from the 2019 season it’s the fact that the Jags have a ton of needs, and in all probability, they won’t be able to address all of them.
Regardless, we’ve decided to evaluate the Jags’ biggest needs based off how the Jags’ last season which resulted in a 6-10 record. Here’s how we rank each need at the moment:
7. Wide receiver
Heading into the 2018 season I felt as though the Jags’ receiver corps was a strength of the Jags, but after watching the season unfold, there is room for improvement. Clearly, DJ Chark Jr. was the No. 1 player within the group and proved to be a stud, racking up 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. His 2019 campaign made him the youngest receiver in franchise history to garner 1,000 receiving yards (alongside Allen Robinson) and the first receiver since 2015 to hit that mark (which was also held by Robinson).
Behind Chark, however, there are question marks. Dede Westbrook, who many (including myself) was high on, had a very average campaign in 2019 where drops were an issue for him. Chris Conley flashed on occasions and was the team’s No. 2 statistically (775 yards), but he too had some drops that were concerning.
All of that said, receiver isn’t a huge need for the Jags but with the strongest receiver class fans have seen in quite some time arriving in 2020, the Jags could have a grand opportunity to make their receivers group elite. If they truly use a best available player method in the first-round, their No. 9 overall pick looks like the sweet spot to land the No. 1 receiver in the class. Whether that’s Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb varies between draft pundits, but both are simply too good for a team lacking offensive fire power to pass on.
6. Secondary help
Similar to the receiver position, the Jags’ secondary is far from the team’s worst group, but if the opportunity presented itself for an upgrade, they should jump on it.
A.J. Bouye’s status for next season feels like a 50/50 type situation as he’s set to be a huge cap hit in 2020. He hasn’t looked like the player fans saw in 2017 (granted the front seven hasn’t either) and the team could save $11.5 million on the cap by parting ways. That means the Jags may ask him to restructure his deal, but if he refuses, what then?
On the other side of Bouye, Tre Herndon gradually improved after being thrust into the No. 1 role when Jalen Ramsey was traded. With Doug Marrone being a big fan of him and his cap figure being very affordable, it appears he has a good chance to start, but again, the No. 9 and No. 20 picks are sweet spots to land a top-tier corner like Jeffrey Okudah (if they are lucky), Kristian Fulton or Paulson Adebo. That said, if Bouye stays and a corner is drafted early, Herndon could be the odd man out of the lineup.
At safety, Ronnie Harrison didn’t look like the player we saw in his rookie campaign, so his presence may not stop the Jags from drafting a stud like Grant Delpit if the opportunity was there. In fact, the argument could be made that Jarrod Wilson may be the safest bet to remain in the lineup, as his 72.7 Pro Football Focus grade was the highest of all the starters in the secondary.
5. Quarterback
Gardner Minshew II had a rookie season worthy of making him the Offensive Rookie of the Year and certainly has earned the opportunity to start in 2020. He was thrust into the role Week 1 when Nick Foles was injured and held the spot until the bye week. He later regained the spot from Foles Week 14 against the Chargers and now it’s really hard to see the Jags going back (which is another story for another time).
So why is quarterback listed on here you ask? Well, there is still some uncertainty with Minshew as there would be with any first-year quarterback.
While he had some amazing games like his performances against Denver (Week 4 ) and Indy (Week 17) it’s easy to forget he had some concerning showings, too, like his performances against the New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans (in London), and Los Angeles Chargers. All of those teams did a good job of making him play within the confines of the pocket for the most part. In other words, Minshew’s 2019 season was a very mixed bag, but it’s one I can understand Jags fans being excited about because it marked improvement over the quarterbacks the team has had in the past.
So what does this mean?
Simple, the Jags don’t have to take a quarterback high in this year’s draft. At the same time, if a quarterback with greater potential than Minshew falls to them, they shouldn’t let Minshew’s rookie campaign stop them from taking a chance at the most important position on the field.
After all, letting Blake Bortles’ upside be the reason the Jags pass on stars like Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson is why Dave Caldwell has one winning season out of seven as general manager. It’s also the reason Shad Khan is 37-90 as an owner with the potential to hit 100 losses in 2020.
4. Interior defensive line
Simply put, the Jags’ interior defensive line is aging between Calais Campbell and Marcell Dareus (if retained). Historically, football has proven to be a game where you need youth at the defensive tackle position and the Jags need to start preparing for life without both players at some point.
The Jags’ No. 9 and No. 20 picks could be sweet spots to get younger in the middle. They preferably need a solid run stuffer at the position as the Jags were one of the worst rush defenses in football. If studs like Derrick Brown of Auburn, Raekwon Davis of Alabama, or Marvin Wilson of Florida State are available for any of their top picks, they need to greatly consider pulling the trigger.
3. Offensive line
The Jags’ offensive line had some good moments at the beginning of the season as Leonard Fournette was able to record two games with over 107 yards rushing and one with over 220 yards rushing. However, after reaching the 4-4 mark the group plummeted.
In particular, fans were unimpressed with the play at both guard positions and at left tackle where Andrew Norwell, A.J. Cann, and Cam Robinson play. However, when considering Norwell’s dead money hit for 2020 ($5.5 million), it’s unlikely that the Jags would part ways with him this upcoming season, which leaves Cann’s and Robinson’s spots the ones to watch.
The Jags’ No. 20 selection or their selections in the second and third rounds seems like a good spot to select an offensive lineman or two. Tyler Biadasz, Creed Humphries, Shane Lemieux, and Jedrick Wills are some names to watch who could provide help for the Jags in the trenches.
2. Tight end
It seems as though we revisit this situation every year as there has long been a need at tight end for the Jags. The Jags signed Julius Thomas to be the guy many years ago and it didn’t work out. The same could be said about Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
In 2019, they drafted Josh Oliver, who barely saw the field as injuries held him back during his rookie campaign. At 22 years of age, it’s much too soon to be giving up on him, however, he’ll take some time to develop. That said, a No. 1 veteran is needed at the position.
Typically, rookies have a hard time having an impact at the tight end position, so taking one high in the draft may not be the right move. Luckily, the tight end free-agent class could provide options as players like Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and Eric Ebron are set to hit the market.
1. Linebacker
The Jags’ linebacking corps looks to be the position that needs the most upgrades in 2020 and the team’s lack of depth and struggles against the run proves it. Myles Jack, the group’s leader didn’t translate well at MIKE linebacker and could benefit from a position change.
2019 draftee Quincy Williams looked overwhelmed at the weak-side position and that was likely due to the learning curve from playing at Murray State. SAM linebacker Leon Jacobs had some good moments in his second year but his position was one that wasn’t utilized much in 2019 as he only saw 31% of the team’s defensive snaps.
All of that said, several additions might be needed all over the unit. One simple fix could be to move Jack to the weak-side linebacker position if the Jags continue to run a 4-3. They would only really need a MIKE linebacker, and preferably one good against the run. If they utilize a 3-4 predominately, they could incorporate Yannick Ngakoue and Josh Allen into the linebacking corps more (as they did at times this year), which would help the position significantly.
Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons has been frequently mocked to the Jags by draft pundits for outside linebacker help, and he’s a stud that would help boost the group tremendously. Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray, Alabama’s Dylan Moses, and Cal’s Evan Weaver might be names to watch for interior linebacker help.
