Jacksonville Jaguars could be as good as their 2017 counterpart
By Jeff Tice
Jaguars expectations in 2017 vs. expectations now:
New Head Coach: Who is the better head coach, Doug Pederson or Doug Marrone? Pederson has a Super Bowl championship on his resume. Doug Marrone is the offensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints. This one is easy. Pederson wins the battle of the Dougs.
Beefed Up Defense: No one can say with a straight face that they knew Sacksonville was coming to town in 2017. There was hope, but it is difficult to find anyone who was willing to go out on a limb and say the Jags’ D would be that good. So, is it reasonable to expect the 2022 defense to match that one? Maybe not. Perhaps Foley Fatukasi won’t have the exact same impact as Calais Campbell, and maybe Darious Williams won’t quite match AJ Bouye of 2017. Those free agent signings were grand slam home runs.
But, it isn’t crazy to expect Fatukasi and Williams to get close, and you can reasonably expect Foyesade Oluokun to outshine Barry Church. And, while the 2017 group was joining a defense that already featured Jalen Ramsey, Telvin Smith, and Malik Jackson among others, the 2022 squad also has a few pieces in place such as Josh Allen, Shaq Griffin, and Tyson Campbell.
Plus, 2022 has several additions beyond Fatukasi, Williams, and Oluokun via the draft. Most notably, 2022 will boast a completely revamped and impressive linebacking corps that features three new players beyond Oluokun in Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd, and Chad Muma.