Jacksonville hasn’t had very impressive showings in its first two preseason games. The first-team offense and rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence haven’t found much success (due in large part to poor offensive line play), and the starting defense has been torched by both Cleveland Browns quarterback Case Keenum and New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston.
In spite of all that, the Jaguars are moving up in the latest NFL power rankings from ESPN. They ranked 30th in the league in the post-draft update, but now, they come in one spot higher at No. 29. The Jags are listed ahead of the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans.
Here’s what ESPN’s Mike DiRocco said about this team as things currently stand.
Post-draft ranking: 30
People on the hot seat: OTs Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor
Second-round pick Walker Little has had a very good training camp, and the Jaguars have been training him at both tackle spots, though he has mainly been working at left tackle. Robinson and Taylor struggled last year, combining to give up 27 sacks (including a league-high 18 by Taylor), per ESPN Stats & Information. The Jaguars opted to franchise Robinson and not pursue a veteran in free agency, but Little is pushing him. Right now, the plan is for Little to be the swing tackle, but if either Robinson or Taylor falters, Little could move quickly into the starting lineup.
Taylor has struggled quite a bit during the preseason, and Robinson missed the second game with a minor injury. Little made the start in his place, but it wasn’t an encouraging outing for the rookie, who was bullied all night by the Saints’ starting edge rushers.
The Jags made several offseason additions like that of Little it hopes will pay off, but 2021 could be another challenging year in Jacksonville. Still, with a star-studded rookie quarterback, the Jaguars will hope to improve a bit on their 1-15 record from a season ago.
