Every NFL team looks different from one season to the next. This is due to all the player movements free agency and the salary cap creates. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars have undergone a substantial makeover after winning just one game in 2020. They gave head coach Doug Marrone the pink slip and brought in Urban Meyer to take his place. Also, the Jags promoted Trent Baalke to general manager after moving on from David Caldwell, who held the position since 2013.
The team’s brass took advantage of the abundance of cap space it had at its disposal and added depth and a few playmakers in free agency. Later in the draft, the Jaguars found a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and other building blocks such as cornerback Tyson Campbell and running back Travis Etienne.
On the other hand, they need their second-year players to step up. Jacksonville’s 2020 draft class showed promise last season but injuries hit the team hard and their rookies were no exception.
Heading into the 2021 season, the Jaguars will need these four sophomores to step up.
4. Daniel Thomas, safety, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars had two fifth-round picks in 2020 and they used one of them on safety Daniel Thomas. The Auburn product worked his way up the depth chart and ended up starting two games as a rookie. Nevertheless, an arm injury cut his season short after ten games.
This Jacksonville team signed Rayshawn Jenkins in free agency and drafted Andre Cisco. Moreover, Jarrod Wilson is still on the roster and will likely start at one safety spot. Thomas will likely be the team’s primary backup in the season opener but needs to be ready in case one of his teammates go down.
3. C.J. Henderson, cornerback, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars needed to fill the void All-Pro Jalen Ramsey left when he was traded in the middle of the 2019 season and drafted C.J. Henderson in 2020’s selection meeting to take his place. The Florida product stepped up to the challenge and was part of the starting lineup on Day 1.
Henderson had few rough outings but a vast amount of first-year players do. On the other hand, he also had some other solid matchups and finished the season with 36 total tackles, six passes defended, one forced fumble, and one interception. The team trusted him enough that even after a couple of bad performances in Weeks 5 and 6, he stayed in the starting lineup. However, a hamstring injury ended his seasons.
Although Henderson will most likely start opposite free-agent acquisition Shaquill Griffin in the season opener, the margin for error will be small. The Jaguars have a crowded cornerback group after re-signing Sidney Jones and Tre Herndon and drafting Tyson Campbell. If the former Gator struggles, the team can easily go with Jones or even let Campbell show what he’s got.
Henderson was trending up before he suffered the hamstring injury but he has the potential to pick up where he left off last year. Even though he wasn’t drafted by the new regime, head coach Urban Meyer thinks highly of him, describing him as a wonderful young man. The ball is on his court and it’s up to him to make the most out of it.
2. Laviska Shenault, wide receiver, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars had a solid wide receiver corps last season. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a quarterback that could take advantage of the offensive weapons they had at their disposal. DJ Chark Jr., a Pro Bowl nod in 2019, saw his production take a hit while Laviska Shenault Jr. didn’t get many chances to make plays.
A second-round selection in 2020, ‘Viska’ hauled in 58 receptions for 600 yards and five touchdowns. Those aren’t bad numbers for a first-year player. However, the team’s brass surely expects more from the Shenaut in Year 2. At one point last season, he had the most receiving yards among rookie wide receivers. Moreover, he had three trips to the end zone in the last two games of the year.
With quarterback Trevor Lawrence at the helm, all Jaguars skill-position players should be productive in 2021. However, the Colorado standout may have a difficult time getting a meaningful amount of snaps. The team signed Marvin Jones Jr., who should start opposite Chark this season. Also, Collin Johnson will complete for playing time and since the current regime didn’t draft Shenault, they may not feel attached to him.
There’s also the fact rookie Travis Etienne will line up at wide receiver in 2021, and that could come at the expense of Shenault. The second-year wideout has shown he can play. Nevertheless, he will have to stand out in Jacksonville’s crowded wide receiver corps, which won’t be easy.
1. K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE defender, Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars traded Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue last offseason. That forced them to rely on defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson more than they probably projected in 2020, especially after Josh Allen suffered a knee injury that limited him to eight games.
The LSU product logged his first sack in Week 1. That would be the last one he would register last season. Although he played all 16 games in 2020, he only posted 19 total tackles and three tackles for a loss. However you look at it, that’s not the kind of production a team expects from a first-round pick. On the bright side, he went on to register 19 pressures in the last five games of the year.
The team’s brass surely expects Chaisson to break out in 2021. They signed Jihad Ward and Roy Robertson-Harris this offseason but both of them will play a complementary role. They also added Jordan Smith in this year’s draft but he’s expected to be a backup. Also, Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen will switch between 3-4 and 4-3 formations, so Chaisson will sometimes rush the quarterback from a two-point stance. This hybrid defense should play to his strengths.
Chaisson displayed flashes last year. It’s time for him to show he can form a terrific pass-rush duo along with Allen. It’s unlikely that the Jags will have a top 10 defense in 2021 but if Chaisson performs at a high level, the unit will not be a liability any longer.