The NFL 2021 season is less than a week away. The Jacksonville Jaguars will finally get to take the field after an offseason that saw them undergo significant changes. The team’s brass took advantage of the surplus of draft picks and salary cap the previous administration left, and spend the offseason making upgrades to a roster that was in need of an infusion of talent.
Keep in mind that the Jaguars weren’t the only teams that acquired playmakers in the offseason. The Tennesee Titans bolster their defense and the Indianapolis Colts expect quarterback Carson Wentz to turn them into a contender. Even the Houston Texans made some interesting offseason additions in spite of the limited resources they had in the offseason. Thus, Jacksonville will need these five players to get off to a hot start in 2021 if they want to keep up with their division foes.
Jacksonville Jaguars player No. 1 – RT Jawaan Taylor
The Jaguars’ coaching staff is expecting right tackle Jawaan Taylor to bounce back after taking a step back in 2020. Last season, the Florida product gave up a staggering 58 pressures and eight sacks. He also posted a less-than-stellar Pro Football Focus overall grade of 56.5. Still, the Jags believe he can bounce back in 2021.
Jaguars offensive line coach George Warhop recently told the local media Taylor is a good right tackle and thinks that he can be even better. He said the 2019 second-round pick needs to work on some things but notes that he’s seen progress. The Jaguars will need Taylor to play at a high level if they want quarterback Trevor Lawrence to succeed right out of the game. They will also need him to show he’s the long-term answer at the position.
Jacksonville Jaguars player No. 2 – EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson
The Jaguars’ defense had a hard time pressuring opposing quarterbacks last season. The unit as a whole was only able to muster a paltry 18 sacks. Thus, the team’s brass fortified the defensive front in the offseason. They signed Roy Robertson-Harris and Jihad Ward in the offseason. They also brought back Dawuane Smoot and Adam Gotsis. Furthermore, Jacksonville drafted EDGE rusher Jordan Smith.
Despite all the additions they made to the front seven, the Jaguars are banking on second-year EDGE rusher K’Lavon Chaisson to have a breakout season in 2021. The former LSU Tiger posted just one sack in his rookie campaign but finished the 2020 season strong, posting 21 pressures in the last seven games.
After mostly playing with his hand on the ground last season, Chaisson will now be rushing the passer from a two-point stance. He will be playing strong linebacker in defensive coordinator Joe Cullen’s scheme. The 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft should now be able to his explosiveness in his new position. During the offseason, he attended Von Miller’s annual pass-rush summit, where he had the chance to sharpen his skills and learn from some of the league’s best EDGE defenders.
Chaisson had an up-and-down offseason but showed growth in the preseason. He played 83 defensive snaps over the course of three games. He logged three total pressures and posted a Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade of 74.6. Josh Allen is the Jaguars’ best pass rusher but if they want to successfully rattle opposing quarterbacks, they will need Chaisson to step up.
Jacksonville Jaguars player No. 3 – C.J. Henderson
Here’s another second-year player that needs to show out in 2021. Although cornerback C.J. Henderson struggled in a couple of games in 2020, he also showed flashes and was trending in the right direction before he was placed on the Injured/Reserve list with a groin injury. The sophomore is set to pick up where he left off in his rookie campaign but it’s surely been a bumpy road. Here’s a quick recap of everything he went through in the offseason.
Henderson underwent labrum surgery earlier this year. He was placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list in late July and missed several days of training camp. Then, a report about him possibly being available via trade surfaced. All these events could’ve taken a toll on the cornerback but the team stood by him. Assistant head coach Charlie Strong endorsed Henderson and said that he made them a better team. Furthermore, he said that they would do anything they could to help him succeed.
Once Henderson was able to partake in training camp, he quickly made up for the time he lost. He made his way back to the starting lineup and played well in the preseason. He appeared in 81 defensive snaps, allowing just 35 yards on nine targets and posting a Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 76.4. The ninth overall pick in 2020 will most likely start opposite Shaquill Griffin in Week 1. The fact that the Jaguars traded Sidney Jones to the Seattle Seahawks puts more pressure on Henderson to play at a high level.
Jacksonville Jaguars player No. 4 – RB James Robinson
The Jaguars used the 25th overall selection in his year’s draft to take running back Travis Etienne. Throughout training camp, he showed the burst and athleticism he displayed back at Clemson. Nevertheless, he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the preseason and is now out for the year.
The team’s brass expected Etienne and sophomore James Robinson to form a running back tandem. With E-T-N out of the picture, Robinson will have to once again carry the load in 2021. Last season, he took the NFL by surprise, totaling 1,414 yards from scrimmage, the most by an undrafted rookie in league history. Even though opposing defenses frequently stacked the box against the former Redbird, racked up 1,070 yards on 230 carries.
Last season, Robinson had 86 percent of the Jaguars’ carries. That number might not be as high in 2021 but he will still have a big workload. Working in his favor is the fact that the team’s brass signed veteran Carlos Hyde in free agency. The Ohio State product has averaged 4.4 yards over the last two years and even posted a 1,000-yard season in 2019. He will spell Robinson from time to time, and the running game won’t suffer a steep dropoff in production.
The Jaguars’ ability to run the ball will rest on Robinson. If the Illinois State product avoids a sophomore slump, the team’s rushing attack will be in great shape and will take some pressure off rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Speaking of…
Jacksonville Jaguars player No. 5 – QB Trevor Lawrence
All eyes will be on quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the season opener, which isn’t surprising when you take into account that he was the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. As paramount as the rest of the players on this list to the Jaguars’ success will be, none of them are as important as the Clemson product.
Nobody in his right mind will argue that Lawrence is the most talented quarterback to come out of the college ranks since Andrew Luck in 2012. Nevertheless, several talking heads have already questioned the Jags’ decision to draft him and believe Justin Fields or Zach Wilson are better even though none of them have taken a snap behind center in the regular season. If the former Tiger is off to a slow start, the scrutiny will only continue.
Putting aside opinions, Lawrence must play at a high level. On the bright side, he won’t have to put the team on his shoulders, at least not yet. The Jaguars’ brass has put together a well-rounded group of skill position players, led by wide receivers DJ Chark Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., and Marvin Jones Jr. Also, the team will lean on running back James Robinson once again.
Lawrence doesn’t have to play like an upper-echelon quarterback in his rookie year but he will need to make plays more often than not and avoid making big mistakes. If he does, the Jaguars will be able to play competitive football on a consistent basis.