5 Jacksonville Jaguars dream targets in 2023 NFL Free Agency
![A Jacksonville Jaguars fan holds up a sign before a regular season NFL football matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]Jki 121822 Cowboys Jags Cp 7](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fblackandteal-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F19646377-850x560-a6360f740b3ace6d83f6ce46d30d38fbd1c7d1e61ff7915b2e11a1ca312823e3.jpg "A Jacksonville Jaguars fan holds up a sign before a regular season NFL football matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]Jki 121822 Cowboys Jags Cp 7")
No. 2 Jacksonville Jaguars dream free agent in 2023: Miles Sanders, RB
This is a good year to sign a running back despite the fact that the 2022 leading rusher, Josh Jacobs, is expected to get the franchise tag. Tony Pollard, who outplayed Zeke Elliot, will reportedly get the tag too. But even with Jones and Pollard out of the picture, there will be many quality running backs, many of them of starting caliber, in free agency.
Based on how things are playing out, the New York Giants will probably keep Saquon Barkley, leaving Miles Sanders as potentially the top running back in the open market. Coincidentally, Sanders played for Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson when he held the same position for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019 and 2020.
Sanders was productive under Pederson, racking up 343 carries for 1,685 yards with nine touchdowns. He also showed proficiency as a pass catcher, catching 78 passes for 706 yards with three receiving touchdowns in the same span.
Even though the Jaguars aren’t in need of a running back and Pederson has shown an affinity for calling more pass plays than runs, Sanders would be an excellent addition to their backfield. He could form a dynamic tandem with Travis Etienne, who just like him, tallied over 1,100 rushing yards last season.
Pederson told the media at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine that he would like to get their running backs more involved on special teams, which would be another reason to add Sanders. After all, the former Penn State Nittany Lions returned kicks for the Eagles in his rookie season and could have a similar role in Jacksonville.