5 Jacksonville Jaguars whose have raised their stock this summer

No. 4 Jaguars player whose stock rose this summer: Zay Jones, WR

Wide receiver was arguably the Jaguars’ biggest need this offseason but instead of waiting until the draft to address it, the team brass signed Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in free agency. Acquiring Kirk made sense since he’s the kind of movable offensive piece that fits what head coach Doug Pederson wants to accomplish.

On the other hand, inking Zay Jones was a bit surprising, not only because the Jags gave him a three-year deal worth $24 million but because he’s only tallied more than 600 receiving yards once in a season since 2018. At the time of his signing, Pederson praised his speed, his aggressiveness, and his ability to stretch the field.

So far, Jones has displayed all those traits during his stint with the Jags. He’s developed a good rapport with Trevor Lawrence in training camp and was one of their stars on offense. During the preseason game against the Cleveland Brown, Jones showcased his connection with Lawrence, hauling in two passes for 47 yards.

While Kirk will be Lawrence’s top target in 2022 and beyond, Jones should also get many passes his way. Even with tight end Evan Engram and Marvin Jones Jr. in the lineup, Zay Jones should be able to post career-best in catches (56) and receiving yards (652). When it comes to touchdowns, he might have a hard time scoring seven, like he did as a sophomore, but he should still finish with four or five, which is more than the two he totaled from 2019 to 2021.