The Jacksonville Jaguars did a solid job of improving in several areas both during free agency and the NFL Draft. Whether you think they overspent on free agents is debatable but the fact is that if you want quality talent, money can’t be an object.
We’re still about three months from Week 1, and with OTAs underway, what better time to take a dive into the roster? In particular, let’s take a look at which three positions the Jaguars still need to work on; weaknesses that are still a concern.
No. 1 weakest position group on the Jaguars roster – Tight end
The Jaguars general manager spent big money on bringing in former New York Giants tight end Evan Engram. However, there’s still a lack of quality depth at the position as a whole and it’s been that way for quite some time. Last season, Dan Arnold and James O’Shaughnessy were the team’s top tight ends. They combined for 568 receiving yards and a grand total of zero touchdowns.
Engram, for his part, was a Pro Bowler in 2020, accumulating 654 yards through the air and finding the end zone once that year. Last season, he improved scoring-wise, hauling in three touchdowns, but his receiving yards took a dip with 408 total.
There’s no doubt that Engram (six-foot-three, 240 lbs.) will create mismatches on offense, which, in theory, will help the rest of the Jaguars’ receivers. The issue here is that the team is relatively thin at this position as far as scoring goes. Look for the Jags to draft an upper-tier tight-end prospect in 2023.
No. 2 weakest position group on the Jaguars roster – Defensive tackle
The Jaguars have a potentially special pass-rushing group with Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd getting looks on the outside combined with Josh Allen and Dawuane Smoot. However, the defensive line’s interior is still a bit dubious.
Lacking a true pass-rushing force in the middle, most of the Jaguars’ interior is made up of run stuffers. If you ranked the top three defensive tackles, they’d look like this: Folorunso Fatukasi, Malcom Brown, and Jay Tufele. Between the three of them, they totaled two sacks, with both of them belonging to Brown.
Earlier in the offseason when Fatukasi signed with Jacksonville, he noted that he believes he’s more than just a run stuffer. Hopefully for the Jaguars, he can deliver on this belief.
"“I feel like there’s more to everybody’s game. I definitely feel like there’s more to my game and I’m definitely excited to work on it and tap into that.”"
To be fair, Brown and Fatukasi displayed an ability to penetrate offensive lines and cause havoc in the backfield. They both accounted for nine tackles for a loss in 2021, and in this upcoming season, they’ll need to repeat that level of production. In all likelihood, the Jaguars might be looking at defensive tackle in the first or second round of next year’s player selection meeting.
No. 3 weakest position group on the Jaguars roster – Right tackle
Prior to the draft, the Jaguars secured Cam Robinson’s services on a long-term deal, paving the way for them to draft defensive lineman Travon Walker. So, what about the right tackle position? Rather than taking one of the many prized prospects from this year’s draft class, Jacksonville is rolling into the 2022 season with Jawaan Taylor.
The decision to not only pass on Evan Neal and the entire group of tackle prospects was somewhat puzzling. Taylor hasn’t proven to be a consistently good option though he started all 17 regular-season games in 2021. Per Pro Football Focus, Taylor earned a 72.1 pass-blocking grade which is solid, but his grade drops in run blocking, earning a 42.8 grade.
Essentially, the Jaguars’ brass is counting on Taylor to take his game to another level this season; that’s quite a gamble in what will be a pivotal year for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Listed behind Taylor is Badara Traore, who only saw one snap on special teams in 2021. However, Walker Little can also man the right tackle position if need be and will probably compete for the starting job in 2022.
Taylor practiced at both spots since being drafted in the second round last season. A lack of depth makes the right tackle a weakness going into 2022. If an injury should befall Robinson, that means Little would step in, leaving Traore as Taylor’s sole backup. Much like tight end and defensive tackle, fans can expect the Jaguars to take a long look at right tackle prospects in 2023.