There are several reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars won just three games in 2024. One of them was inadequate coaching. Another one was that several players who were expected to step up ultimately didn't come through.
These players weren't necessarily bad. Rather, the Jags were counting on them to contribute last year, but for whatever reason, they were underwhelming. With that in mind, here are five players who failed to live up to expectations.
Note: Gabe Davis and Arik Armstead just popped up on a recent list of players who "robbed" Jacksonville blind, so neither will be making an appearance here.
Mac Jones, quarterback
When the Jags traded for Mac Jones, they thought they would be getting a more than capable backup quarterback. This made sense when you take into account that he was coming off two disappointing seasons but had shown promise as a rookie in 2021.
Unfortunately, the Jags quickly found out why the Pats traded him to them in exchange for just a sixth-round selection. Jones struggled when he was thrust into action. Granted, he played a bit better once he fully got acclimated behind center but it was a little too late. All in all, the former Alabama standout completed 65.3 percent of his throws for 1,672 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Not horrible, not great.
With Jones at the helm, the Jags won just one game. It wasn't all his fault, but he was certainly a big reason the offense routinely failed to move the football.
Andre Cisco, safety
There was lots of hype surrounding safety Andre Cisco ahead of 2024. It was warranted. After all, he had registered seven interceptions and 15 passes defensed the two previous years combined. However, the former Syracuse Orangeman didn't make enough big plays and was frequently out of position last season. To nobody's surprise, he lost playing time to Antonio Johnson.
Based on a recent report that doesn't paint a favorable picture of defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, it's possible that he hampered Cisco and many of his teammates. Regardless of the reason, the New York, Queens native didn't do much to raise his stock ahead of free agency and may not be able to get a top-market contract.
Ronald Darby, cornerback
The Jags thought they could replace Darious Williams, their top cornerback in 2023, with Ronald Darby last offseason. It was one of their biggest miscalculations.
Darby was considerably cheaper than Williams, who was set to have a cap hit of $11 million in 2024. Jacksonville quickly found out why. The former Florida State Seminole had been a reliable corner throughout his career but lost a step last year. He struggled so badly that he first lost playing time to Montaric Brown and was outright benched for the last four games of the season.
Even though Darby has still one year left on the contract he signed last offseason, it's hard to see him return to Duval in 2025.
DaVon Hamilton, defensive tackle
A third-round pick in 2020, DaVon Hamilton was seemingly poised to have a breakout season in 2023 before a non-football back injury brought things to a halt. It didn't help that he later got an infection that required antibiotics. Ham eventually returned, but he wasn't at full strength.
Expected to bounce back last year, Hamilton was instead a non-factor. He did finish the season with 62 total tackles but struggled to create pressure up front. If he remains on the roster in 2025, he will probably lose playing time to sophomores Jordan Jefferson and Maason Smith.
Devin Lloyd, linebacker
Linebacker Devin Lloyd flashed in his rookie season but also struggled at times. That's why he was briefly benched in favor of Chad Muma. The former Utah Ute showed more consistency in 2023, so there was a reason to believe that he was trending in the right direction. Add the fact that he showed up to offseason activities in the best shape of his career, and there were reasons to believe he could have a banner year.
Unfortunately, Lloyd had a hard time defending the pass. In his defense, he excelled at stopping the run, but you want your linebacker to be able to drop in coverage and make plays. He didn't and was routinely outplayed by Ventrell Miller.
Lloyd may still get preference to start by virtue of being a first-round pick, but don't be surprised if Miller beats him if they compete for the job next to Foyesade Oluokun.