4 Jacksonville Jaguars who are next in line to be Pro Bowl players

1. Jacksonville Jaguars player in line to make the Pro Bowl: Christian Kirk

It’s easy to forget it now but Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke was highly scrutinized for giving wide receiver Christian Kirk a four-year deal worth $84 million last year. In fact, executives around the league weren’t pleased that Baalke reset the market for receivers. But looking back, this was one of the best moves he made last offseason.

One of the criticisms surrounding the decision to sign Kirk was that he had never crossed the 1,000-yard mark. Similarly, analysts wonder if the former Texas A&M Auggie would be to fill the role of a No. 1 receiver after playing opposite DeAndre Hopkins throughout a good chunk of his tenure with the Cards.

However, the Jaguars didn’t ink Kirk because of what he did or didn’t do with the Cards. Instead, they liked his ability to create big plays and his flexibility to line up at several spots across the line of scrimmage. Kirk didn’t disappoint the Jaguars and quickly silenced critics, hauling in 18 receptions for 267 yards with three touchdowns in his first three games.

Kirk went on to set new career highs for catches (84), receiving yards (1,108), and touchdowns (eight) in 2022. Furthermore, he became the first Jaguar since DJ Chark Jr. in 2019 to register 1,000 receiving yards or more.

The only thing that could stop Kirk from making the Pro Bowl in 2022 is the presence of Calvin Ridley, who’s currently serving an indefinite suspension but has a good chance of being reinstated. If Ridley suits up for the Jags next season, he could take away some of Kirk’s targets. Conversely, Ridley could draw coverage away from Kirk, which could lead to an even more productive year.