The Jacksonville Jaguars will roll out a completely restructured team this weekend compared to the last time they met with the Kansas City Chiefs, which was Week 5 of last season. This time around, upgrades at a few positions could give the Jaguars a better chance than before.
How different is this roster from 2018? Let’s take a look:
Offense
The offense, much more so than the defense, is the side of the ball that has been altered the most. This offseason, the Jaguars released Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler, their top two quarterbacks from 2018. Afterward, the Jaguars went out and spent big money on former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles in hopes that he could spark the offense.
The Jaguars return Leonard Fournette and added fifth-round pick Ryquell Armstead, who looks to be the No. 2 tailback. Both of these players have a similar style and are physical runners.
At wide receiver, the Jaguars return the majority of their playmakers; however, they also signed Chris Conley, a former Chief, to a two-year deal in free agency. DJ Chark, Dede Westbrook and Marqise Lee are all back. In the absence of Lee — who was rehabbing from an ACL tear this summer — Chark, Westbrook and Conley were quite impressive in training camp, and the Jags are hoping that at least two of the three will emerge.
The tight end position is still in shambles as newly signed Geoff Swaim and rookie Josh Oliver are still recovering from injuries. When these two return, however, they give the Jaguars much more viable options than their 2018 counterparts.
The offensive line is the most important piece for the Jaguars’ success. Jacksonville relies heavily on a strong run game and play-action passing. This is why the return of left tackle Cam Robinson is key for this game. While Will Richardson was on the roster last season, he was injured. He will potentially make his first start at right guard against the Chiefs. The Jaguars will start rookie second-round pick Jawaan Taylor at right tackle.
This is a completely new offensive line than what the Chiefs faced last year and a very different offense as a whole. The Jags will be looking to open up the passing game more and attack the Chiefs with their speed at receiver. Of course, they will set that up with the power run game led by Fournette. For the offense, it can only go up from last year’s uninspiring performance.
Defense
The defense, on the other hand, has, in large part, remained the same. The Jaguars did have some key losses to free agency, as well as a player who left the team.
The defensive line will start three of the four starters from last season. The one key loss is that of Malik Jackson, who left via free agency to the Philadelphia Eagles. With the loss of Jackson, the Jags have shown that former first-round pick Taven Bryan will probably see time in the rotation.
Dante Fowler Jr. was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, but it may in fact still be an upgrade as rookie Josh Allen will now get his snaps. Allen looked dominant in the third preseason game against the Dolphins and even prior; fans should be excited about him.
At linebacker, the only key loss from last year is Telvin Smith. Smith had been arguably the most consistent player on the team the last half-decade. He has racked up over 586 tackles in just five seasons, which established him as one of the league’s best.
This offseason, however, he announced he’d be stepping away from football for 2019. Against an offense as fast the Chiefs’, this could be the loss on defense that hurts the most. In his place, the Jaguars will start rookie Quincy Williams. This will be the first time fans will get to see Williams, who spent the preseason recovering from a minor procedure to fix a torn meniscus.
While the Jaguars will return both starting corners, they will start two new safeties. Ronnie Harrison comes back to start this season as the strong safety. He played well last season as a rookie.
The other starting safety spot goes to Jarrod Wilson. Wilson has been with the team for some time but will see his first snaps as a starter Sunday. Against the speed of Mecole Hardman, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, Wilson will have his hands full defending the deep spots on the field.
The Jaguars should be excited about the new players on defense. Smith and Tashaun Gipson were both leaders on the back end, and it will be interesting to see if their replacements, Williams and Wilson, can do their part to fill the voids. This defense should remain one of the best in the NFL.
