By now, you have probably learned that the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t have a single player make the 2022 Pro Bowl. This wouldn’t have been news in any of the last two years but it’s kind of puzzling that the Jags were snubbed this year.
Sure, Jacksonville is far from a powerhouse but they have been playing week over the last six weeks. You would think that should help some of their players earn a Pro Bowl designation but apparently, it wasn’t enough.
Having said that, the level of competition to earn a selection was always going to be tough and the question comes to, who do you take away it from? With that in mind, here are five Jaguars who at least deserve consideration for Pro Bowl honors.
5. Jaguars player who deserves Pro Bowl consideration: Evan Engram
It took Evan Engram a while to reach his potential but he’s become a difference-maker for the Jags in recent weeks. A first-round pick in the 2017 draft by the New York Giants, the former Ole Miss Rebel signed a one-year with Jacksonville in hopes of having a career season and earning a top-market contract in 2023.
Given Engram’s impact this season, he will most likely be in high demand next offseason if he doesn’t return to Jacksonville. Although he had a slow start to the 2022 season, he’s got a strong chance to post career highs for yards in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. His 162 yards on 11 receptions against the Tennessee Titans were a career best in receiving yards in a single game.
Then again, Engram plays in the same conference as Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, so he was going to have a tough time getting in.
4. Jaguars player who deserves Pro Bowl consideration: Tyson Cambell
In his just first NFL campaign, Sauce Gardner has established himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Not surprisingly, he earned a Prow Bowl berth. Patrick Surtain also does a good job of shutting down opposing wide receivers so his inclusion in the All-Star games is fair. On the other hand, sophomore Tyson Campbell should have also been included but wasn’t.
A second-round pick by the Jags in 2021, the former Georgia Bulldog has improved considerably. Early in his NFL career, he failed to turn his head around and locate the football but his tracking skills have gotten much better in Year 2. Campbell has become a mainstay of the Jaguars’ secondary and allowed a respectable 60 percent completion rate even though opposing quarterbacks target him often.
3. Jaguars player who deserves Pro Bowl consideration: Christian Kirk
The Jaguars haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since DJ Chark Jr. in 2019 but it seems like Christian Kirk will put an end to that dubious streak. The former Texas A&M Aggie signed a four-year deal worth $72 million in free agency and has quickly become one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets, hauling in 73 receptions for 966 yards with seven touchdowns in 2022.
Kirk’s ability to line up in the slot or outside allows offensive coordinator Press Taylor to come up with creative play designs. Similarly, his presence allows fellow wide receiver Zay Jones and tight end Evan Engram to find favorable matchups. Furthermore, he’s become a veteran leader in the Jags’ young locker room. All things considered, his omission from the Pro Bowl is head-scratching.
2. Jaguars player who deserves Pro Bowl consideration: Rayshawn Jenkins
Had you told someone earlier this season that safety Rayshawn Jenkins deserved to make the Pro Bowl, you would’ve probably gotten a blank stare. After all, the former Miami Hurricane was coming off a down season in which he was ejected from a game for punching San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
But what a difference a year (and good coaching) makes. Jenkins has become a key cog in the Jaguars’ secondary and his walk-off pick six a big reason they beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15. He needs one interception more to set a new career high for interceptions in a season.
1. Jaguars player who deserves Pro Bowl consideration: Trevor Lawrence
This list wouldn’t be complete without Trevor Lawrence. Since the end of the 2021 season, the former Clemson Tiger has made significant strides and his learning curve has accelerated considerably since Week 9, when the Jags beat the Las Vegas Raiders.
In that span, Lawrence has completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,680 yards with 14 touchdowns and just one interception. That should have been more than enough to get him into the Pro Bowl but it wasn’t.
Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen are all deserving of their Pro Bowl selection but it would have been great to see Lawrence get the nod in his second NFL season. If he keeps playing the way he has and the Jags keep winning, it will be hard to keep him out in 2023.