When looking at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ disappointing 2018 season, there was more than enough blame to go around, especially on offense. And while Blake Bortles never developed the mechanics or ability to read the field properly at times, it was obvious that his receivers didn’t do him any favors either, aside from Dede Westbrook. In just about every game, it seems as if the receivers had difficulties reeling in passes, and if you were one of the fans who guessed the Jags led the league in drops, you aren’t far off the mark.
Per Pro Football Focus, the Jags finished with the league’s second-highest drop rate of 11.3 percent, which was just barely under the Baltimore Ravens who came in with an 11.4 percent drop rate.
When looking deeper into the numbers, the Jags weren’t a pasPFF stats: Jags’ receiving corps had second-highest drop rate in 2018happy team and came in at 19th in attempts with a total of 536. Simply put, that set them up to have a high rate due to a smaller body of opportunities. Add in the fact that three of their receivers in T.J. Yeldon (eight drops), Keelan Cole (seven) and Westbrook (six) all were ranked within the top-20 in drops, and it’s easy to see why the Jags ranked where they did percentage wise.
Clearly, this is something that will need to be addressed in 2019 alongside their issues at quarterback and along the offensive line. Most would agree that the team may need to draft a receiver early this offseason, and if they do that, it appears they need to emphasize landing a sure-handed prospect in the process.
