Even though you won’t find the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster at the top of many power rankings, they arguably have more talent than they had in the previous two years. The team’s brass made an effort to improve the talent level at most position groups in free agency and the draft.
There’s currently a mix of veterans and youngsters on the Jaguars’ roster and there are a handful of players with a realistic shot at making the Pro Bowl in 2022. Here are the five with the best chance.
No. 5 Jaguars players who could make the Pro Bowl: Tyson Campbell, CB
The Jaguars started revamping a roster devoid of playmakers last year. One of the players they added that could end up becoming a mainstay of their defense as soon as 2022 is cornerback Tyson Campbell.
Cornerback didn’t seem like a need ahead of last year’s draft after signing Shaquill Griffin and bringing back Sidney Jones. However, general manager Trent Baalke has previously talked about finding a balance between choosing the best players available and need and it looks like he applied this philosophy when taking Campbell with the 33rd overall pick.
In the end, the selection paid off even though Campbell’s transition to the NFL wasn’t particularly smooth. Although the former Georgia Bulldog struggled early in the 2021 season, he progressively got better and went on to lead the Jags in interceptions with two. There’s a chance he will get even better in 2022.
Slated to start opposite Griffin in Week 1, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Campell double his interception totals in 2022 and earn a Pro Bowl nod.
No. 4 Jaguars players who could make the Pro Bowl: Cam Robinson, LT
It’s not been an easy journey for left tackle Cam Robison. A second-round selection in the 2017 draft, the Alabama product made his way into the starting lineup as a rookie but an injury cut his sophomore campaign short. He struggled to find consistency over the next to seasons but the Jaguars’ brass showed confidence in him when they applied the franchise tag on him last offseason.
Robinson repaid the team’s trust with the best year of his career, posting a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 64.7 and allowing just one sack on 573 pass-blocking snaps. Then again, he was playing under the one-year tag and it was uncertain if the Jags would want him back with Walker Little waiting under the wing. However, the organization gave him a three-year deal worth $54 million in the offseason, putting any doubts about this future in Jacksonville to rest.
Without having to worry about his contract situation and firmly entrenched at left tackle, Robinson should be even better in 2022. Barring injury, he should pick up where he left off last year, which could lead to the first Pro Bowl designation of his career.
The NFC is stacked with some of the best left tackles in the whole league. On the other hand, there isn’t much of a consensus in the AFC. This in turn could pave the way for Robinson to make the Pro Bowl this upcoming season.
No. 3 Jaguars players who could make the Pro Bowl: Evan Engram, TE
This will be tight end Evan Engram’s first year wearing the Black and Teal and it might be the last one if he lives up to expectations. A first-round selection by the New York Giants in the 2017 draft, the former Ole Miss Rebel put up respectable numbers during his five-year stint in the Big Apple. He appeared in 65 games with 51 starts and hauled in 262 receptions for 2,828 yards with 16 touchdowns.
On the other hand, Engram only reached the end zone more than five times once in his career and that was in his rookie campaign, when he amassed six receiving touchdowns. Surprisingly, he earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2020 even though he only scored once. That year, he caught a career-high 63 receptions for 654 yards. Moreover, he moved the chains 32 times.
It’s worth noting that the year Engram made the Pro Bowl, Daniel Jones was his quarterback. In Jacksonville, he will be catching passes from Trevor Lawrence, who might be a more developed passer than his Giants counterpart at this point of their respective career. This should help the veteran tight end rack up better numbers than the ones he posted in New York.
One thing that could make it difficult for Engram to make the Pro Bowl is the competition at the position. Travis Kelce, Darren Waller ad Mark Andrews are more established tight ends and the three of them could end up getting the nod over Engram. Still, he has a shot, a small one but a shot nonetheless.
No. 2 Jaguars players who could make the Pro Bowl: Brandon Scherff
The Jaguars allowed a respectable 32 sacks last year but decided to make a few important changes to their offensive line this offseason. They let Andrew Norwell and A.J. Cann walk away in free agency. On top of that, Brandon Linder hung up the cleats. That’s three starters from 2021, so how did the Jags replace them?
Ben Bartch will most likely take Norwell’s old spot at left guard while veteran Tyler Shatley will step in at center. Then, there’s the right guard spot. To fill the void left by Cann, the Jaguars’ signed Brandon Scherff, arguably the best interior offensive lineman in this year’s free agency. The former Iowa Hawkeye signed a three-year deal worth $49.5 million to bolster the Jaguars’ protection.
Scheff has been one of the top guards in the league since the Washington Commanders took him with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft. His work in the trenches has earned him five Pro Bowl nods and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get yet another one in Jacksonville.
In fact, the only thing preventing Scheff from making the Pro Bowl would be if he misses a significant number of games. He’s had to sit out 25 games over the last six seasons but the only year when he didn’t get the nod was in 2018, when he missed eight games due to a pectoral injury. If he manages to stay healthy for most of the 2022 season, he will likely get his sixth selection.
No. 1 Jaguars players who could make the Pro Bowl: Josh Allen, OLB
Here’s another Jaguar that has previously appeared in the Pro Bowl but unlike Brandon Scheff and Evan Engram, outside linebacker Josh Allen is a homegrown talent. In fact, the former Kentucky Wildcat was part of a group of Jacksonville players that got the nod back in 2019.
That year, Allen logged 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. In 2020, he dealt with a knee injury that limited him to eight games. He kind of bounced back last year but wasn’t able to replicate the production of his rookie season. Still, he led the Jags with 7.5 sacks and posted a career-high Pro Football Focus overall grade of 78.5. Furthermore, he had a few dominant outings, including those against the Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills, and the Indianapolis Colts. Coincidentally, Jacksonville won all those games.
Allen should be even better in 2022 with the stink of Urban Meyer no longer having a negative impact on the team’s performance. Also, the team’s brass made important upgrades to the front seven in the offseason, including the addition of a bookend pass rusher in Travon Walker. Having better and more talent around Allen should help him get to the quarterback more often and put up better overall numbers.
The Jaguars haven’t had a player represent them in the Pro Bowl over the last two years but Allen is one of several playmakers that will have a chance to end the streak this upcoming season.