New Jaguars WR Jaydon Mickens could have immediate impact

As frustrating as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 30-10 to the San Francisco 49ers was, losing wide receiver/return specialist Jamal Agnew for the season made it even worse. While it will be hard to fill the void the 2017 fifth-round pick absence left, the Jags are doing their best and have brought back a familiar face in Jaydon Mickens.

The team announced they’ve signed Mickens from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because this is his second tour in Jacksonville. After going undrafted in 2016, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. He was waived the following year and claimed off waivers by the Jags. The Washington product played 16 games with them, mainly on special teams. He then had a brief stint with the Carolina Panthers in 2019 before he was signed by the Bucs.

All in all, Mickens has played 32 games over the last four years and has returned 63 punts for 499 yards with one touchdown and 27 kickoffs for 638 yards. Moreover, he’s hauled in 13 receptions for 135 yards with two touchdowns.

The Jaguars will lean on Jaydon Mickens early on.

Tavon Austin took over return duties after Agnew got hurt in Week 11. He went to muff a punt, which was a sign the Jags would need to reach for outside help to replace their star returner. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell met with the local media Wednesday and said Mickens will have a role in the return game. However, he’s uncertain how much he will play on offense.

Keep in mind that Mickens has had just 16 career catches, so it’s unlikely that he will see an increase of offensive snaps. The Jags brought him in because of his special teams contributions. Sure, the wide receiver corps needs a boost but he won’t provide it. In fact, the Jags might keep increasing Laquon Treadwell’s number of snaps, which makes sense since he’s been with the team longer while Mickens needs to learn the offense.

There are no easy fixes to replace Agnew for the season but signing Mickens should lessen the impact of his absence on special teams.