DJ Chark could have a breakout season for the Jaguars in 2019

After a rookie season slowed by lack of production and an injury, Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark could be a breakout star in 2019.

DJ Chark caught 14 passes for 174 yards and zero touchdowns in his first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars over 11 games. To say his rookie season was underwhelming might be a bit generous. The second-round pick out of LSU is out to prove he can become a “go to” threat in the team’s offense this coming season and has already looked the part in OTAs and minicamp.

At 6-foot-4 and 199 pounds, the tall, lanky receiver with blazing speed has a ways to go before he could be considered a pass-catching threat defensive coordinators must game plan for. Maybe that’s a good thing. This is a wide receiver room that does not overwhelm you, but it might become the most improved part of the offense in 2019.

Chark looks to be a part of that. If the 2019 season started tomorrow, it would not be a shock to see No. 17 in the starting lineup along with Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley. After missing five games last season with an injury that hampered his progress, a recommitted Chark could be the big-play pass catcher the Jaguars coaching staff envisioned when they selected him with the 61st pick last season.

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Chark’s name has been discussed this offseason between OTAs and minicamp as an improved player – one who could be a critical piece to the passing game. He is also part of the diverse group of men in the wide receiver room offensive coordinator John DeFilippo spoke about earlier this month.

The commitment to getting better did not end when players walked away from the team’s facility after minicamp on June 13. Per John Reid of the Florida Times-Union, Chark went back to his roots in Louisiana to train and continue his progression as a professional.

"″I just like the fact that the offense is very diverse with a lot of different options that everybody can just rotate,″ Chark said ″As long as you know what you’re doing and Nick [Foles] getting a good understanding of us and the coaches putting use in position to run routes to our strength, I think that’s going to be big.″"

The Jaguars were led by Westbrooks 66 catches last season in a lackluster passing game. DeFilippo should add more wrinkles to the offense and make the aerial attack more prominent. Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell will also have a major role in molding Chark in his second season. The progress is already there. Now, with the time away from the facility, can he come back and do some of the same things he showed the coaching staff on the practice field.

"″Things start to slow down for you in your second year,″ receivers coach Keenan McCardell said. ″Being in your first year is like a tornado, everything is all the same, it sounds the same. Now he can pick and choose how to run routes, how to decipher defenses and stuff like that, which will make his game improve just understanding defenses in his second year.”"

If the Jaguars can take advantage of Chark’s skill set and his height and speed in the red zone, this is a team that will score more points and have a more feared passing game this coming season.