A popular adage says that “future favors the bold” and if that’s indeed true, the Jacksonville Jaguars will improve significantly in 2022. After all, they’ve pulled no punches this offseason and
made an aggressive effort to upgrade their roster
in free agency and the draft.
While the Jags won’t really know how much better they’ve got until they play against the Washington Commanders in Week 1 of the regular season, many of their position groups seemed to be well-equipped to succeed. With that in mind, here are Jacksonville’s strongest units following the draft.
No. 1 strongest position group on the Jaguars roster – Wide receiver.
The Jaguars ranked 32nd in points scored last season and the team’s brass knew they needed to get Trevor Lawrence better weapons if they wanted to put him in a position to succeed in Year 2. That’s why it wasn’t shocking to see them pursue and subsequently sign wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in free agency.
You could argue that general manager Trent Baalke overpay for Kirk and Jones and that’s a legitimate point but if they both become key cogs on offense and live up to expectations, it won’t really matter how much they’ll earn over the next three years. Moreover, they won’t be the only weapons Lawrence and the coaching staff will rely on. They will join a well-rounded group that includes Marvin Jones Jr., Laquon Treadwell, and Laviska Shenault Jr. The trio should see an uptick in production under head coach Doug Pederson and a more mature Lawrence.
There might not be a bonafide number one wide receiver on the Jaguars’ roster in 2022 but there’s no doubt they have a well-rounded group, probably the best one in recent years.
No. 2 strongest position group on the Jaguars roster – Quarterback.
This could be a tad surprising because the Jaguars didn’t make any additions to their quarterback room besides signing undrafted free agent EJ Perry. However, they have the ideal setup ahead of training camp: A franchise quarterback, a savvy veteran as a backup, and a developmental prospect.
The AFC is stacked with talent at the quarterback position and there are at least six passers who are better and more established than Trevor Lawrence. On the other hand, the former Clemson Tiger should make a significant leap in his sophomore campaign. He has a head coach that knows how to win in Doug Pederson and a solid supporting cast. While he isn’t a realistic candidate to lead the league in touchdown passes, his TD/INT ratio should improve after finishing 12/17 in 2021.
In case Lawrence has to catch his breath or miss a couple of games, C.J. Beathard can take his place and the offense will be in good hands. Last season, he only threw two passes but completed both for 33 yards. He should have no trouble holding the fort if called upon. Finally, third-year quarterback Jake Luton will probably have to compete with Perry for the third spot on the quarterback depth chart. Also, they could be trying out for the primary backup job if Jacksonville lets Beathard become a free agent in 2023.
The current regime inherited Luton and brought Perry in, possibly giving the latter a slight advantage. Either way, the Jags are set at quarterback for the upcoming season.
No. 3 strongest position group on the Jaguars roster – Cornerback.
The Jaguars’ offense got a facelift in the offseason but the front office also made upgrades to most positional groups on defense. In particular, a solid cornerback room got reinforcements in Darious Williams, Montaric Brown, and Gregory Junior.
Despite the fact that the Jags had a pair of talented corners in Shaquill Griffin and Tyson Campbell, they gave Williams a three-year deal worth $30 million in free agency and brought back Tre Herndon for the season year in a row. The former might line up in the slot and the latter will be a valuable depth piece, having made 29 starts over the last four seasons.
Also coming back is Rudy Ford, who switched from safety to nickel last year and fared well. Last but not least, 2020 seventh-round pick Chris Claybrooks might need to fend off rookies Montaric Brown and Gregory Junior.
Injuries are an inherent part of football and clubs have no control over them. However, they can prepare for them, which is precisely what the Jaguars did when assembling their cornerback room this offseason. They have a solid starting trio and the depth to withstand a few injuries.