5 biggest underachievers for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022

1. Jacksonville Jaguars underachiever in 2022: Shaquill Griffin, CB

Credit where credit is due and cornerback Shaquill Griffin deserves credit for showing superb leadership skills during the Urban Meyer era. The former UCF Knight talked to the media after a loss, which was often, and refrained from sugarcoating things.

In retrospect, Griffin had a huge role in keeping the team together in the face of adversity and played relatively well. This is noteworthy when you take into account that most Jaguars players underperformed under Meyer.

However, Griffin struggled in 2022. He suffered a back injury in training camp and was a liability in coverage, giving up 22 receptions on 32 targets (68.8 percent completion rate) for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Ultimately, the team’s brass shut him down after five games and he spent the remainder of the year on Injured Reserve.

A third-round selection by the Seattle Seahawks in 2017, Griffin signed a three-year deal worth $44 million with the Jags in 2021, two years after earning a Pro Bowl selection. He’s set to count $17.1 million against the cap but Jacksonville can free up a bit over $14 million in cap space with $13 million in dead money if they release him in the offseason.

Griffin said after the conclusion of the 2022 season that he would like to return to Jacksonville next season but it’s hard to see him sticking around given that the Jaguars will need to move on from a few players in the upcoming weeks to get under the cap.