4 players the Jaguars cannot afford to lose to injury in 2022

No. 2 player the Jaguars can’t afford to lose to injury: Christian Kirk

Wide receiver Christian Kirk was one of the most important players the Jaguars acquired in free agency. While his signing hasn’t been popular across the league, Kirk gives Trevor Lawrence a legitimate No. 1 receiver.

Kirk can play both inside and outside. but he’s more effective when he lines up in the slot. Last season, he played a career-high 79 percent of the offensive snaps inside and averaged a yard more per catch than when he played outside. And there’s a good chance the coaching staff will use him in a similar manner this upcoming season.

Having said that, the Jaguars will probably use him as a movable chess piece and will look for favorable matchups. With opposing defenses having to account for the former Texas A&M Aggie, other Jaguars receivers, such as Marvin Jones Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. should find more opportunities in 2022.

The Jags have depth at wide receiver and should be able to withstand a few injuries. However, losing Kirk for a significant amount of playing time would be devastating. Last year, the offense suffered a drop in production when DJ Chark Jr. suffered an ankle fracture in Week 4.

Marvin Jones stepped up and ended up becoming the team’s top receiver last year but he wasn’t nearly as effective without Chark stretching the field and drawing coverage away from him. If Kirk gets hurt in 2022, the Jaguars could experience a similar situation.