The Jacksonville Jaguars have made an effort to raise the roster floor in the offseason. One look at the signings they made in free agency shows that they accomplished the goal. Having said that, there's still plenty of work left, so it's not particularly shocking to see the Jags land near the cellar of Pro Football Focus' latest NFL power ranking.
Mason Cameron of PFF ranked all 32 teams following the first wave of free agency, and placed the Jags at No. 27, pointing out that they still have plenty of holes to address even after their free-agency haul.
"Jacksonville was extremely active leading up to free agency, parting ways with several key players, including Evan Engram and Christian Kirk, to generate cap space. That flexibility allowed them to sign nine free agents, though their class lacked a true difference-maker despite the heavy investment.
Trevor Lawrence returning healthy will stabilize the quarterback position and help elevate Brian Thomas Jr. However, with numerous roster holes still remaining, finding sustained success will likely be an uphill battle."
But despite the praise, Cameron doesn't think Jacksonville did enough to get a higher spot in his ranking. For comparison, the Houston Texans landed at No. 16. Surprisingly, the Indianapolis Colts ended up at No. 26 despite the fact that they're arguably less talented than the Jags. Then again, they finished with a better record last year, so it does make a bit of sense.
The silver lining is that the Tennessee Titans ranked 32nd. The other teams that popped up below the Jags were the New England Patriots, the New Orleans Saints, the Cleveland Browns, and the New York Giants.
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Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. will help the Jaguars move up in 2025
All things considered, the Jacksonville Jaguars got a fair spot in PFF's ranking following an underwhelming 4-13 record in 2023. On the other hand, Dalton Wasserman (also from PFF) was thrilled to see them beef up the offensive line in free agency, praising them for their acquisitions of Robert Hainsay, Patrick Mekari, and Chuma Edoga.
In fact, Wasserman predicted that the Jags would continue to bolster their offensive trenches throughout the offseason, and that's precisely when they did when they signed Fred Johnson to a one-year deal. The front office isn't probably done, though. Expect it to add a couple more bigs in the draft. All these investments, in turn, will benefit Trevor Lawrence and the offense.
Lawrence hasn't enjoyed great protection throughout his career, and if most of the moves the Jags pan out, he'll at last show what he's capable of doing. Having the ascending Brian Thomas Jr. in the fold should also help.
A 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist, Thomas also got help. The Jags locked up Dyami Brown in free agency to draw coverage away from the sophomore. This, along with the reinforcements in the offensive trenches, will present favorable matchups for the backfield tandem of Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne.
On the other hand, the Jags haven't neglected the defense. They got Anthony Campanile a pair of pieces to work with in cornerback Jourdan Lewis and safety Eric Murray. Nobody will bat an eye if they fortify the defensive front with a couple of early picks in the 2024 draft.
When you add it all up, the Jackosnville Jaguars got signficantly better in free agency. And if they manage to come out of the draft with a good haul, they should have no trouble moving up in NFL power rankings next season.