Jaguars land at somewhat high spot in post Super Bowl ranking

Hiring Doug Pederson as their head coach was a smart move by the Jacksonville Jaguars and all the work they’ve done this offseason will potentially lay the foundation for long-term success. However, the Jags aren’t the only NFL team that has tried to get better over the last couple months and they have to climb a steep hill before they leave the cellar of the league. Surprisingly, Bleacher Report believes Jacksonville is already ahead of a few clubs even though their 3-14 record was the worst mark in the NFL last season.

B/R’s NFL staff recently ranked all NFL teams after the Super Bowl and the Jaguars landed at 27th. The writer of this one says that calling the Jags’ 2021 season a disappointment is “the mother of all understatement” and describes the brief Urban Meyer as a “catastrophe”. Moreover, they call Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season a mess after throwing a league-high 17 interceptions and completing 59.6 percent of his passes. On the other hand, they believe the arrival of Doug Pederson bodes well for the young quarterback and the team but also acknowledge that the roster needs upgrades.

"There’s a new head coach in town in former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, and Lawrence told reporters he’s looking forward to working with the coach who led Philly to a win in Super Bowl LII… Pederson’s arrival may be cause for at least some optimism. But this team has lots of holes on both sides of the ball and posted the NFL’s worst record a year ago."

It was a bit surprising to see the Jaguars not land at the bottom of the ranking. After all, they had the worst offense in the NFL last season and have many roster holes to address this offseason. On the other hand, it seems like Pederson taking over at head coach and having Trevor Lawrence as the quarterback gave the Jags’ a nice boost on the list. The teams that had a lower ranking than Jacksonville were the Houston Texans (32), the Detroit Lions (31), the New York Jets (30), the Carolina Panthers (29), and the New York Giants (28). Similarly, the New Orleans Saints (26) and the Chicago Bears (25) popped up ahead of the Jags.

The Jaguars look promising but it’s all about the results.

The Jaguars don’t have to worry about searching for a franchise quarterback with Trevor Lawrence entering his sophomore campaign. The presence of Doug Pederson will surely help him improve in Year 2 and stabilize a team that is coming off four straight losing seasons. Then again, the Jags were more than a head coach away from competing and will need a solid draft class and nail the free-agency period if they want to have a shot at competing in 2022.

Pretty much every positional group on Jacksonville’s roster needs upgrades. On the bright side, the Jaguars have the second most assets in the league this offseason: Around $56 million in cap space and four selections, including the first overall, in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. That’s more than enough ammo to add a few difference-makers to the team.

Of course, it’s not about the number of assets that you have but rather using them effectively, something the Jaguars have failed to do in recent seasons. They need to buck the trend if they want to start competing on a consistent basis and it all starts this offseason.