D.J. Moore listed as ‘missing piece’ to put the Jacksonville Jaguars over the top in 2018

Are the Jacksonville Jaguars a first-round wide receiver away from a Super Bowl run in 2018?

The NFL offseason is in full swing, with the flurry of players coming and going in free agency. With teams taking new shape after additions and departures, the attention for the 32 franchises now turns to further building a championship caliber team through the 2018 NFL draft.

A successful draft haul can propel teams to rapid prosperity, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are a key example to that fact. Yes, a critical attribute to the Jaguars’ talent is from massive free agent signings. But drafting players like Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Fournette, Cam Robinson, Myles Jack, and Yannick Ngakoue (and that’s just in the last two drafts), Jacksonville has assembled an ultra-competitive squad.

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With that, is there a player in this year’s draft that could take the team even further? NFL writer and analyst Daniel Jeremiah compiled a list of prospects that could each push five selected playoff teams from last season over the top in 2018.

Jeremiah included the Jaguars, and thinks Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore is the player that can raise the team to new heights next season:

"Jacksonville JaguarsFirst-round pick: No. 29 overallThe missing piece: The Jaguars have arguably the most talented young roster in the NFL. However, in order to overtake the Patriots in the AFC, they need to add more firepower to their offense. While Blake Bortles has his detractors, I believe he’s capable of leading this team to the promised land if the Jags can find him one more weapon in the passing game. I’m a huge fan of Maryland WR D.J. Moore. His combination of toughness, speed and playmaking ability would fit beautifully in the Jacksonville offense. The Jaguars’ running game can be dominant, and that presents plenty of big-play opportunities in the passing game. That’s exactly where Moore can help. He could lead the league in yards per catch in the Jaguars offense."

Jeremiah shows his faith that quarterback Blake Bortles can effectively lead the team given one more playmaker out wide, which is where Moore enters the picture. Jeremiah states that with the receiver’s size and skill-set, Moore would fit perfectly into Jacksonville’s offense, and even goes as far as to say that Moore could lead the entire league in yards per catch in the offense.

My take: A bonafide playmaking wide receiver would be a vital asset for the Jaguars. The current wideout unit has shown flashes of potential, but still mostly have a lot to prove moving forward. If D.J. Moore is as advertised, having that amount of talent as a deep threat to open the passing game and keep defenses honest against the run game, the Jacksonville Jaguars could in fact take the next step in 2018.