AFC Championship: 5 players Jaguars would love to sign in free agency

No. 2 AFC Championship free agent target: Vonn Bell, S

There will be a high demand for Bengals safety Jessie Bates’s services if he hits the open market, which seems inevitable when you take into account that his request for a multi-year deal hasn’t been granted.

Bates will probably command top-market compensation but there’s another Bengals safety that should be on the Jags’ radar, and that’s Vonn Bell. The 2016 second-round pick signed with Cincy in 2021 and is set to once again become a free agent.

Bell has registered six interceptions, 15 forced fumbles, and 35 passes defensed in 109 career games. He’s made 48 consecutive starts and has missed just eight games in his seven-year career. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins could be a cap casualty this offseason and if the Jags release him, Bell then becomes an option to replace him.

No. 1 AFC Championship free agent target: Khalen Sanders, DT

The Jaguars will need to retool their defensive front in the offseason. Adam Gotsis is slated to become a free agent. Corey Peters might hang up the cleats and Roy Robertson-Harris could get released to free up cap space.

One player who could help Jacksonville is defensive tackle Khalen Saunders. A third-round pick by the Chiefs in 2019, Saunders has played 38 games with five starts. While his numbers won’t pop off of the stat sheet, he’s adept at collapsing the pocket and taking on blocks to free up his teammates to make plays. Like other players on this list, he would be a low-key solid addition in free agency.