Jacksonville Jaguars position-by-position breakdown: Wide Receiver
By Billy Long
Part three of breaking down each positional group for the Jacksonville Jaguars heading into 2018.
Up next of analyzing the roster for the Jacksonville Jaguars is the wide receiver position. The Jaguars had to compensate heavily in 2017 after the loss of Allen Robinson to injury on just the third play of the season.
The absence of Robinson was difficult to overcome, and Jacksonville had to count on rookie wideouts to provide a spark in the passing game.
Moving ahead to 2018, let’s examine how the position looks right now, and what could change as the season arrives:
As it stands right now
Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns, Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, Jaydon Mickens
As mentioned, number one receiver Allen Robinson missed all but three plays in 2017. Allen Hurns also battled injuries again, and missed six games in the last half of the season.
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Marqise Lee was the most reliable of the veteran wideouts in 2017. Lee hauled in 56 receptions and 702 yards. It was undrafted free agent Keelan Cole who splashed on the scene and finished as the Jaguars’ leading receiver in yards with 748.
The rookie fourth-rounder Dede Westbrook, after being activated in week 11, flashed the potential of being an explosive playmaker for the offense moving forward.
What could happen for 2018
The wide receiver position for the Jaguars is one of the biggest question marks in the offseason, in terms of decisions that the team will have to make.
Both Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee will enter the new league year as free agents. It would be shocking if Robinson is playing anywhere else than Jacksonville next season. Yes he’s coming off a knee injury, but Robinson is still a top young receiver in the league at just 24 years old. Lee, on the other hand, could end up elsewhere for 2018. The Jaguars may throw an offer his way, but Lee will most likely find better money with a different team.
Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook made their names known in 2017, and will be back to continue to make an impact in seemingly larger roles in 2018.
The wild card of the group is Allen Hurns. Hurns has a 1,000 yard season under his belt, but has battled injuries the past two years. With the potential of Cole and Westbrook, the former number two receiver could end up being a notable cut causality for the Jaguars this offseason.
Wide receiver will also be a top priority when the draft rolls around in April. Jacksonville needed two rookies to step up in 2017, and with the looming possibility of losing at least one veteran from the unit, the Jaguars will need to bolster the passing game. Look out for Courtland Sutton and James Washington in the early rounds, or Auden Tate in the mid-rounds.