Jacksonville Jaguars: 4 bold predictions ahead of the 2021 season

3. The Jacksonville Jaguars will finish third in the AFC South.

The Jaguars have made several changes this offseason and they should be better than they were last year. However, they aren’t the only AFC South team that had made additions in free agency and the draft. While the Jags drafted a potential franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, the Indianapolis Colts traded for Carson Wentz, who was a top 10 passer in the NFL as recently as 2019.

The 2016 second overall pick struggled with injuries last year but he will join head coach Frank Reich, who was his offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles. If Wentz regains form, he will make an already formidable Colts squad even more difficult to beat. Last season, Indy went 11-5 with an aging Philip Rivers. How good will they be with a fired-up Wentz that probably wants to show Philly made a mistake by getting rid of him.

Then, there are the Tennessee Titans. They pulled a blockbuster trade for All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones to play line up opposite a rising A.J. Brown. Ryan Tannehill is not an elite quarterback but he’s enjoyed a career revival in Tennessee and has been pretty efficent when distributing the ball. Of course, the Titans’ offense runs through running back Derrick Henry, who has a penchant for running over whoever stands in his way.

So why will the Jaguars finish third in the division and not fourth? The Houston Texans had salary cap restrains this offseason and not enough draft picks to make up for it. Moreover, quarterback Deshaun Watson may or may not play in 2021 due his legal troubles.