Being a Jaguars fan for years, I’ve seen how far an NFL team can fall. From going 1-15 in 2020 to going to the AFC Championship game in 2018. The Jags have been great and they have been terrible. This year, the Jags are looking the best they have in five years, and they had a great offseason to help them get there.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are headed to the next season hoping to make a playoff appearance. They were busy this offseason, with several signings and trades that aimed to get their roster in top shape. There was also a complete gutting of the coaching staff, with the Jags hiring new head coach Liam Coen.
The biggest change the Jags made was the decision to hire Liam Coen as head coach. Coen has never been a head coach before, making his hiring a high risk high reward scenario, but I believe it will pan out because of the way he turned around Baker Mayfield’s career. He will likely have the same impact on Lawrence, who could use a positive turnaround to his career after missing several games due to injury.
In the front office, the Jags hired a new GM, the former head of scouting for the Rams, James Gladstone. This will serve as a change of scenery for the Jags as many were unhappy with the Jaguars previous GM.
In April, the Jaguars had big plans for the NFL draft, and it showed. They desperately needed depth at receiver and defensive back, so, in the first round of the draft, the Jaguars traded up with the Cleveland Browns to acquire the second pick. With that pick, they selected Travis Hunter, a player that plays both offense and defense out of Colorado. His ability to play both sides of the ball is one in a million. No one else in the pros plays two ways. He is a wide receiver and defensive back, addressing needs at both positions for Jacksonville. Other notable picks include defensive back Caleb Ransaw out of Tulane with the 88th pick, OT Wyatt Mulim with the 89th pick out of West Virginia, and RB Bhayshul Tuten with the 104th pick out of Virginia Tech.
Hunter was the best pick of the Jags draft, but he came at too much of a cost. The Jags traded their first round pick in next year’s draft. This could be too high of a cost and will certainly be a huge mistake if Hunter’s two-way talent doesn’t transition to the NFL.
When free agency hit, the Jaguars made some moves to boost their roster. Notably, the Jags signed offensive tackle Robert Hainsley, who will serve (as a captain) as the team’s starting center this season. The Jags further boosted their offensive line with the signing of Patrick Mekari, a 27 year old lineman who was most recently with the Baltimore Ravens. At quarterback, the Jags signed QB Nick Mullens, playing backup to Trevor Lawrence. Mullens showed flashes when playing at Minnesota and is a solid backup option for the Jags. As a final major signing, the Jags beefed their receiver core with Dyami Brown. He really flashed in the playoffs for the Commanders which is why the Jags decided to bring him on as an exciting addition.
As far as trades, the Jaguars made a few moves. They recently traded for former Lions receiver Tim Patrick who is looking to get an increased role on the Jags. I hope he will flash in a new system where he can be another option at receiver.
This year, there has been some debate over what the depth chart will look like at certain positions on the roster. At running back specifically, the Jaguars have three players who could potentially take the job. Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne Jr., and Bhaysul Tuten. I believe the Jaguars should trade Etienne, who has been inconsistent with injuries throughout his career, and lean on Tank Bigsby, who had a great year. They should also give Tuten opportunities as he was excellent in college and has high potential, given his 4.32 second 40 yard dash and 40.5 inch vertical showing he has considerable speed and explosiveness.
The receivers should also be heavily competing as there are many wide receivers with a shot at the number 2 spot behind Brian Thomas Jr. Dyami Brown, Tim Patrick, and Travis Hunter will each have to shine in order to earn the spot. In my opinion, Hunter will be the best because of his ability to adapt to both sides of the ball and because of the dominance he showed in college.
The Jags really brightened their roster, and it shows a positive outlook heading into the next season. The Jags have a shot at the playoffs, and they should be exciting to watch this year.
