Jacksonville Jaguars 20th in ESPN preseason power rankings
By Daniel Lago
The Jacksonville Jaguars had perhaps the best offseason of any team in the NFL, but some people want to wait and see if all the moves will pay off.
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t been very good for the better part of a decade and they’ve consequently developed a reputation among the national media. The Jaguars typically aren’t given a lot of attention – particularly of the positive nature – by brands like Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Talk, but things should be different this year.
After putting together an impressive free agency and draft haul, the Jaguars look markedly improved and should compete for the AFC South title.
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ESPN has perennially been quite negative about the Jaguars, but this year there’s too much momentum to ignore. They
placed the Jaguars at 20th overall
.
"20. Jacksonville Jaguars2015 record: 5-11Post-draft ranking: No. 23The Jaguars open the 2016 season Power Rankings at No. 20, which shows that our voters see potential in the team’s young core. How so? That 20 ranking is tied for the Jaguars’ highest since Week 3 of the 2011 season."
While 20th isn’t exactly anything to jump around about, it’s better than where the worldwide leader usually slots the north Florida squad. Generally the Jaguars are in the bottom 4 to start the season, so it’ll be interesting to see how the analysts putting together this ranking react after the Jaguars win (or lose) a few games at the beginning of the 2016 regular season.
What’s interesting to note is the ranking of the team predominantly compared to the Jaguars (and rightfully so). The Oakland Raiders come in at number 11, meaning they think Derek Carr‘s contingent is ready to make the playoffs.
I don’t think the Raiders and Jaguars are that far apart (especially at the quarterback position), and the Jaguars are in a considerably easier division. The direct comparison of the two franchises will be fun when they meet in week 6.