Jacksonville Jaguars ‘ready to take a huge leap in 2021’

It was frustrating to watch the Jacksonville Jaguars play in 2020. They lacked difference-makers on both sides of the ball, they couldn’t stop opposing teams from scoring and had a hard time putting points on the scoreboard. On the bright side, the Jags went through a significant makeover this offseason and they look in significantly better shape than they were last year.

Chris Roling of Bleacher of Bleacher Report recently wrote about four NFL teams ready to take a huge leap in 2021, and the Jags popped up on the list. The Atlanta Falcons, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Los Angeles Chargers were the other three. Roling notes that quarterback Trevor Lawrence has rightly been the center of attention in Jacksonville.

"The 21-year-old isn’t just a borderline generational prospect who could have gone No. 1 in a handful of draft classes after he threw 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions at Clemson—he’s also playing in an era when highly-drafted rookie passers seem to do better than usual."

Roling also acknowledges that the Jaguars have “done a solid job of resetting the roster over the last few years”. He points out that they have a trio of talented wide receivers in Laviska Sheault Jr., Marvin Jones Jr., and DJ Chark Jr. and a young and promising running back in Travis Etienne. Furthermore, Roling says Jacksonville’s defense should be better than last year, when they gave up 30.8 games per game. He believes “a big upswing from last year’s one-win record seems a given”.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are trending in the right direction.

As Roling noted, Trevor Lawrence is arguably the Jacksonville Jaguars’ most significant offseason addition, and their future success will depend on development as a passer. Nevertheless, the team’s brass is ensuring the former Tiger is in a position to succeed right off the bat. The Jags should take some pressure off his shoulders by running the ball often. Having a dynamic running back duo in Etienne and sophomore James Robinson should help them achieve that goal.

Lawrence will have no shortage of wide receivers to throw the ball to either. Chark underwent finger surgery and won’t be back until Week 1, per James Palmer of NFL Media. However, Jones, Shenault, and Collin Johnson should pick up some of the slack. Also, it will be a great time for Pharoh Cooper and Laquan Treadwell to make their case for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Left tackle Cam Robinson and right tackle Jawaan Taylor were named the Jaguars’ X-factors ahead of the 2021 season. So far, both of them have risen up to the challenge and have had a productive training camp. In case either one struggles, rookie offensive tackle Walker Little should be ready to step in.

Earlier this year, Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen said that they should have no trouble doubling their sack totals from last year. That seems like a pretty attainable goal after making all the strides the unit has made in the offseason. EDGE rusher Josh Allen is back from injury and Dawuane Smoot is thriving in Cullen’s scheme. Moreover, cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Rayshawn Jenkins have quickly become key cogs in the secondary. Besides increasing their sack totals, the Jaguars should give way fewer points and force a few more turnovers in 2021.

As Roling pointed out, a playoff berth may be out of reach for the Jaguars in 2021. On the bright side, it looks like all their offseason upgrades are paying off and they should be fun to watch.