3 personnel decisions Jacksonville Jaguars should regret at 2023 midseason point

The Jacksonville Jaguars got off to the wrong foot to start the second half of the 2023 season, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10. Although they still hold the No. 3 seed in the AFC and remain in first place in the division, they've shown they have lots of room for improvement.

Some of the issues the Jags are currently dealing with lie in execution. On the other hand, there are a handful of personnel moves that are affecting their on-field performance. Here are three they should be regretting right now.

3. The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't aggressively pursue Danielle Hunter

Outside linebacker Josh Allen continues to have a banner season while sophomore Travon Walker continues to make strides in Year 2. However, the Jaguars could use another pass rusher to round out their rotation.

The team's brass tried to bolster the pass rush several times throughout the offseason and well into the trade deadline. However, their attempts fell short. One player they should be kicking themselves for not landing is defensive end Danielle Hunter.

Earlier this year, Hunter asked the Minnesota Vikings for a salary bump and even missed a portion of the team's offseason workouts to get his request granted. During his holdout, the Jaguars showed strong interest in trading for him. However, they weren't aggressive enough in their pursuit.

Ultimately, Hunter stayed with the Vikes and got a reworked deal. The decision paid off for Minnesota, as the three-time Pro Bowl nod is tied for the most sacks in the league with 11.0.

From the Jaguars' point of view, imagine how dominant their pass rush would be with Hunter in the fold. His presence would allow the coaching staff to use Travon Walker as a movable chess piece and exploit favorable matchups across the line of scrimmage like he did in college.

Was the cost of acquring Danielle Hunter too expensive? Maybe, but he would've been worth it.

2. The Jaguars expected Ben Bartch to be 100%, didn't address the left guard position

Trevor Lawrence has made mostly good decisions this season. However, his ability to quickly get the football out of his hands has masked the offensive line's inability to give him enough time to throw. As Mina Kimes of ESPN noted, the third-year quarterback has been pressured at a 43 percent rate on dropbacks between 2.5 to 4.0 seconds. That's simply too much.

In particular, the Jaguars have been vulnerable at left guard. The Jags were counting on last year's starter Ben Bartch to rebound from a knee injury. Bartch returned in time for the opener but he struggled and was eventually benched in favor of Tyler Shatley. The coaching staff then moved Walker Little inside when Cam Robinson returned from a four-game suspension to begin the season.

Little made the start at left guard in Week 5 but suffered a knee injury. He came back in Week 10 and struggled. If the offensive tackle-turned-guard falters again, Jacksonville could turn to Ezra Cleveland, who arrived via trade at the deadline.

What's frustrating is that the Jaguars wouldn't have a revolving door at left guard if they had correctly addressed in the offseason. They had the cap space to go after someone like Dalton Risner or Nate Davis but instead chose to stay put. It's fair to say that the decision is coming back to haunt them.

1. The Jacksonville Jaguars draft Tank Bigsby in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft

Running back wasn't among the Jaguars' top needs this offseason. Travis Etienne, in his first NFL season, totaled 1,1414 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. JaMycal Hasty, the No. 2 on the depth chart last year, also delivered when called upon. Nevertheless, the team's brass chose to use a third-round selection on Tank Bigsby.

The move made sense in theory. Bigsby was a downhill runner at Auburn and could join Etienne to form a dynamic backfield tandem. Unfortunately, things haven't played out that way that way in practice. Whenever he's on the field, turnovers ensue.

That may feel like an oversimplification of Bigby's performance this year but it isn't far off. In the opener alone, he was responsible for a couple of turnovers. First, he couldn't hang onto a pass that was picked off by Colts cornerback Tony Brown. Later, he picked up a live ball that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner snatched off his hands for a defensive touchdown.

Once again against the Colts, this time in Week 6, Bigsby lost a fumble. More recently, Trevor Lawrence targeted the rookie running back but the ball bounced off his hands and got intercepted by safety Talanoa Hufanga. In his defense, Lawrence should've taken the sack instead of forcing the throw but that's a separate issue.

Given that Bigsby is a mid-round pick, the Jaguars won't make him walk the plank anytime soon. However, they can't justify giving him playing time. Instead, he should remain on the sidelines, and his carries should go to free-agent pickup D'Ernest Johnson, who's been the more productive of the two this season.

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