Jaguars offense earns encouraging spot in post-draft ranking

Ranking 32nd in points scored is not something the Jacksonville Jaguars probably expected last year but that’ how bad their offense was in 2021. The silver lining is that they realized they couldn’t afford to take half-measures to put Trevor Lawrence in a position to succeed and after making meaningful changes this offseason, they earned a favorable spot in a recent ranking.

Jared Dublin of CBS Sports recently ranked every NFL offense and Jacksonville landed at No. 21. It’s a bit surprising to see the Jaguars ahead of teams such as the New England Patriots and just one spot below the Tennesse Titans but that’s a reflection of all the upgrades they’ve made over the last few months. Besides ranking each club, Dublin separate them by tiers and the Jags landed in the “not bad, but also maybe not that good“.

"Let’s call this group “not bad, but also maybe not that good”. There are some intriguing units in here, like the Jets’ offensive line and pass-catchers; the Lions’ offensive line and running backs; the Giants’ pass-catchers; and obviously, the Titans’ running backs. But there are just too many question marks, especially at quarterback, to consider any of these teams likely to rank among the top half of the league in offensive efficiency, explosive play-making, scoring, or yardage."

The Jaguars signed Pro-Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, tight end Evan Engram, and wide receivers Zay Jones and Christian Kirk in free agency. All of them should go on to have feature roles in 2022. Moreover, the team’s brass gave Cam Robinson a multi-year deal and brought back Laquon Treadwell, one of their most productive targets late in the 2021 season.

The Jaguars have the pieces in place to score more points in 2022.

Now, ranking 21st isn’t something the Jaguars should be proud of but it would represent a significant step in the right direction after struggling last year. The dearth of talent on offense played a big role in Jacksonville’s inability to score points in 2021 but the subpar coaching also had a negative effect. Urban Meyer didn’t know how to run a professional football team and it showed on the scoreboard. He didn’t seem particularly interesting in adjusting his approach to the NFL and was ultimately shown the door for a variety of reasons after less than one year on the job.

The Jags hired Doug Pederson to take Meyer’s place and are in better hands ahead of the 2022 season. The head coach recently acknowledged that he’s got his work cut out and will have to regain the trust the team lost last year. So far, he’s done a good job since he took over and seems to have the team on the right track.

Pederson will be tasked with getting the most out of Trevor Lawrence and helping wide receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. and Marvin Jones Jr. bounce back after a relatively down year. When you add all the free agents the front office signed, ranking 21st in points seems feasible.

The Jaguars have been one of the worst NFL teams when it comes to scoring over the last three years but that can change in 2021. They have the quarterback, the right head coach, and enough offensive pieces to make it happen.