4 Jacksonville Jaguars that were a nice surprise in 2021

No. 4 Jaguars player who was a nice surprise in 2021 – Laquon Treadwell.

On paper, the Jaguars had a solid wide receiver corps last season, so it didn’t look like signing Laquon Treadwell would tip the scale. After all, the 2016 first-round pick was coming off a season in which he hauled in just six passes, so he would have to stand out in training camp to make the team, and stand out he did.

While Treadwell’s early odds of sticking around weren’t favorable, he put in the work and had a realistic shot to make the Jags’ 53-man roster. Ultimately, he didn’t make the cut but he was quickly signed to their special teams. He was signed to the active roster before Week 9 and went on to make seven starts.

Moreover, Treadwell became one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets and caught 33 receptions for a career-best 434 yards and one touchdown last year. He was far from perfect and had a handful of costly drops. On the other hand, he also had a few key grabs that helped the Jags move the chains.

Treadwell isn’t an upper-echelon and he would be the third or fourth option in a well-round wide receiver unit. Nevertheless, the Jaguars lost DJ Chark and Jamal Agnew to injuries and they had to lean on him. He will be a free agent now and should be back this offseason. He built a good rapport with Lawrence and could have even better numbers if they have another year together.