Jacksonville Jaguars have the most talent under-25 in the NFL
By Daniel Lago
With so many loaded draft classes over the last 3 years, it’s not surprising the Jaguars have one of the most talented young rosters in the NFL.
After being saddled with one of the weakest draft classes ever in 2013, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager David Caldwell has put together 3 impressive drafts. Caldwell found a franchise quarterback (Blake Bortles), two star receivers (Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns), two solid starting offensive lineman (Brandon Linder and A.J. Cann), and potentially 3 foundational stars on defense (Dante Fowler Jr., Jalen Ramsey, and Myles Jack).
With so much young talent, it’s easy to see why the team has such high expectations heading into 2016.
The folks over at ESPN are just as high on the Jags young talent, declaring them to be the team with the most talent under 25.
"1. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS2015 ranking: 9Jacksonville’s offense made fantasy owners happy last year, but what really drove us to rank this team No. 1 were the additions on defense. How often do you add arguably the best defender in the draft two years in a row, as well as another top-five talent? This is so much about potential with a serious risk of injury, but getting defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Myles Jack on the field together should make Jacksonville worth watching again. Aaron Colvin is also a solid cornerback who was rarely tested last year despite playing over 1,000 snaps.Then you go back to that offense, starting with the line. It should be noted that Luke Joeckel has not lived up to his draft status yet, and probably will never, but right guard A.J. Cann had a solid season, ranking eighth in snaps per blown block.Then there are the skill players. Despite the 35 touchdown passes, Blake Bortles was hardly efficient, ranking 25th in DVOA. He makes a lot of mistakes, and he smashed an NFL record with 13 of those touchdown passes coming in the second half of losses when trailing by multiple scores — serious garbage-time-hero stuff. But the positive plays still make you believe in Bortles long-term potential as long as he (and the rest of the team) keeps improving.Wide receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns were excellent last year in helping Bortles look good. They can make tough catches and make defenders miss after the catch. If Marqise Lee or Rashad Greene have anything else to add, then that’s just more firepower for this offense. T.J. Yeldon did not find the end zone much as a rookie, and the team signed Chris Ivory, but Yeldon is still likely to be a big factor this year.You should probably chill on the playoff talk in 2016 for Jacksonville, but some excellent drafting from 2014 to 2016 is the biggest reason for increased optimism."
It’s odd to see them praise the Jaguars and then say you should temper expectations for the playoffs, but it’s somewhat understandable given the team’s recent lack of success.
Still, the playoffs are certainly not out of the question in a weak division.
The Jaguars have a ton of young talent to build on – now it’s on head coach Gus Bradley to get the most out of them and finally pile up some wins.