After having the strongest bounce-back year on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster, and maybe even the league last season, D.J. Chark Jr. will enter the 2020 season as one of the best-ascending receivers in football. Even with the Jags making three quarterback changes during the season, he was able to accumulate just over 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Based on how training camp has gone, Chark is the team’s best offensive player, which points to the third-year receiver being even better than he was in 2019. Our USA TODAY comrades over at The Huddle believe his numbers will see a slight increase in terms of targets, yards, and touchdowns, projecting him to acquire 80 catches for 1,100 yards and nine touchdowns.
Here is what they had to say about the third-year wide receiver who now has more help around him.
Chark caught 73 of 118 targets for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore while bouncing between QBs Gardner Minshew and Nick Foles. He was the No. 1 option for either quarterback whenever on the field, and he’ll again lead a pass-catching group that added Laviska Shenault Jr. in the 2020 NFL Draft and TE Tyler Eifert in free agency. Chark should be viewed as a high-upside WR3.
In addition to the pickups the Jags made for their passing game, it’s also worth noting they will also be playing under a new offensive coordinator in Jay Gruden. He seems to be a big fan of Chark, who has looked like the MVP of Jags training camp. In fact, just last week Gruden said it was hard to find a weakness in Chark’s game.
Not too soon after Gruden joined the Jags’ staff, he stated that he would look to play Chark from multiple receiving positions and that definitely should help his production. If rookie receivers Laviska Shenault and Collin Johnson can cause size mismatches for the Jags’ opponents like most feel they can, Chark definitely could hit the 1,100-yard mark, especially as the No. 1 weapon on the unit.
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