Denard Robinson and 2 Other Jaguars With Breakout Potential

Dec 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) looks for an open receiver during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. The Texans defeated the Jaguars 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

2) Blake Bortles, Quarterback

2015 is the season Blake Bortles was expected to ascend to the starting quarterback position. Instead he was thrust into the lineup a bit too early, against the plan of the Jaguars coaching staff. He had shown enough during the preseason to warrant the attempt, though. Unfortunately for the Jaguars they got a quarterback who was hit repeatedly, sacked consistently, and couldn’t build on any of the young offensive weapons around him.

For 2015, Bortles could be much, much better. He finished last season with 2,908 yards and 11 TDs. He balanced those decent rookie numbers with a poor turnover rate, racking up 17 picks. With just two interceptions in the final five games of the season and none in the final two, things started to look up. The offense was tapered down to be less aggressive which was a mistake, but Bortles showed that he can handle game plans that are safer by achieving the goals under former offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch.

With new OC Greg Olson in town to work with Bortles and play to his strengths, the Jaguars QB could be poised for a much better year. His final six games last season were in a much less aggressive game plan and he never surpassed 210 yards. Expect Olson and Bortles to work toward taking advantage of his big arm and ability to make plays on the fly, relying on his athleticism and focusing on using improved weapons to create opportunities.

The addition of Julius Thomas at tight end should help him post more touchdowns in 2015 but it is the extra experience at wide receiver where Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Marqise Lee are entering year two that may yield better results. With a number of drops among them last season and the inability to stay healthy all year, the passing game and Bortles’ stats suffered. Expect improvement from them all and Bortles to take advantage. There were 14 drops just by those three last season (per Pro Football Focus) plus another seven by departed wide receiver Cecil Shorts III. Tack on a few more receptions and big plays and Blake Bortles will look a lot better in 2015.

Next: Who could breakout on defense?