Jaguars' massive surge in NFL Power Rankings can no longer be ignored

The Jacksonville Jaguars caught lots of heat in the offseason. First, they were under scrutiny for letting linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne walk in free agency and seemingly not doing enough to replace them. Then, the Jags were blasted in the draft for going against the grain, outright ignoring the consensus and choosing to stick to their own board.

The dearth of big swings led to chatter about the Jags failing to make the playoffs just one year after qualifying and winning 13 games. However, analysts are starting to change their tune. With head coach Liam Coen at the helm, Jacksonville is building off its 2025 success and is ready to take the next step.

With a strong core in place and after a strong training camp, the Jaguars are beginning to get the recognition they deserve in power rankings.

The Jaguars made the top 10 in NFL power rankings

John Oehser of the team's official site ranked the Jags at No. 4, just behind the Seattle Seahawks, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Buffalo Bills. You could make the case that he's being biased because he covers the Jaguars, but he's far from the only writer who's given them such a high ranking.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gave the Jaguars the third spot in his ranking, noting that everyone is sleeping on them. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, for his part, ranked Jacksonville at No. 9, stating that the sky is the limit for Trevor Lawrence under Liam Coen.

Of course, the Jaguars aren't the only team with a chance to make a deep playoff run. The Denver Broncos, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Houston Texans are also formidable foes. When you factor in that Jacksonville has to face all of them next season, reaching the postseason and defending the AFC South title in 2026 won't be a walk in the park.

Having said that, the Jaguars have enough firepower on both sides of the ball to go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the NFL.

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With Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen, the Jaguars can stay at the top of NFL power rankings

The Jaguars hit it out of the ballpark with Liam Coen. Right off the bat, he proved to be the right head coach for Jacksonville, as he oversaw a cultural shift and managed to get the most out of a team that underachieved under Doug Pederson in 2024. Trevor Lawrence might've been the biggest beneficiary.

Although Lawrence got off to a slow start to 2025, he caught fire once he got a grasp of Coen's scheme. It also helped that the Jags traded for Jakobi Meyers to stabilize the offense. Now, No. 16 is entering this second season in the same scheme, and a surge in performance shouldn't be ruled out when you take into account that he'll have the best supporting cast of his career.

But beyond Lawrence and Coen, the Jags have lots of talent on offense and defense. With Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and tight end Brenton Strange, the offense has no shortage of weapons. Travis Hunter is expected to play corner full-time and take the next step. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, on the other hand, give Jacksonville one of the best pass-rush tandems in the NFL.

But beyond Hunter, the secondary has lots of depth and talent due to the presence of Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis, Montaric Brown, Eric Murray, and Antonio Johnson.

Simply put, the Jaguars have the firepower to make noise in 2026 and remain at the top of NFL power rankings throughout most of the year. The first step will be to beat the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.

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