The Jacksonville Jaguars failed to make the playoffs each of the past two years. Couple that with the fact that they have a first-time head coach at the helm, and not much is expected from them in 2025. Having said that, a recent ranking suggests the Jags may make plenty of noise.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report drew up a ranking of NFL teams that could turn out to be sneaky playoff contenders and included Jacksonville, noting that head coach Liam Coen could at last unlock Trevor Lawrence's full potential.
"The team is now on its fourth head coach since Lawrence joined the team (including Darrell Bevell's interim status during the signal-caller's rookie campaign," Sobleski wrote. "Doug Pederson didn't do enough to buoy the franchise after the disaster that was Urban Meyer's short tenure."
Sobleski continued, "No, Liam Coen takes over as a head coach and offensive play-caller. The Jaguars wanted to hire Coen badly enough that they fired previous general manager Trent Baalke to ensure they got their man, because his offensive vision can dramatically help in Lawrence's development."
Later, Sobleski says that having Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter around could propel the Jacksonville offense. On defense, he believes the Jaguars have enough talent to "be a handful for any opponent."
Related: 3 bold predictions for the Jags that can set the tone right out of Week 1
Liam Coen can turn the Jaguars into a legitimate playoff team in 2025
Brent Sobleski is right that Liam Coen can get the most out of Trevor Lawrence. He's highly regarded around the league and has been working one-on-one with his quarterback to hone his mechanics and do a better job of going through his reads.
It was a small sample, but No. 16 showed notable improvement in the preseason. If that wasn't enough, he'll be throwing behind an improved offensive line and will have no shortage of offensive weapons with Travis Hunter, Dyami Brown, and Brian Thomas Jr. in the fold. Now, Lawrence needs to prove he can stay healthy, something he's failed to do the past two seasons, but if he does, he can rejoin the conversation about the top-10 quarterbacks.
Another thing that isn't discussed nearly enough is that the Jaguars have one of the deepest running back rooms in the NFL. Aside from a pair of workhorses in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, they have a pair of intriguing rookies in LeQuint Allen and Bhayshul Tuten. When he was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, Coen put an emphasis on establishing the run. Expect him to do the same in Jacksonville.
On defense, the Jags also have the potential to be sneaky good. They have a pair of talented pass rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, and a deep rotation behind them. At linebacker, Jacksonville has one of the top units in the NFL, while its cornerback group looks in good shape after the addition of Jourdan Lewis and Travis Hunter.
The Jags' biggest question mark on defense may be at safety, but that's because they didn't make many additions in the offseason. However, they have four capable starters in Eric Murray, Andrew Wingard, Antonio Johnson, and Darnell Savage.
When you add it all up, the Jaguars must definitely have the talent to be a handful. Now, they must show it, and they'll have a prime opportunity to show just how good they are when they face the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.