4 Jaguars players we can safely call busts after the 2023 season
• The Jaguars expected these 4 players to step up but instead came crumbling down.
No player goes into the NFL hoping they'll get the bust label but plenty of them will ultimately get it. That's the nature of the business. Whether it's injuries or infectiveness, some players will simply fail to live up to expectations. The Jacksonville Jaguars know this firsthand, having brought in their fair share of disappointments the past ten years.
Granted, some players need time to hit their stride, but there's a point at which teams can no longer wait for them. In the Jaguars' case, they have a few you could safely call busts and fans will nod in agreement. This list will take a look at four such players.
For the sake of fairness, running back Tank Bigsy and tight end Brenton Strange didn't make the cut. As underwhelming as they were last year, they deserve the benefit of the doubt before they get the dreaded bust label. So which Jaguars players have left no doubt and can be safely dubbed flops? The next four get the nod.
4. Chad Muma, linebacker
Teams usually draft players in Rounds 3 and 4 with the expectation that they'll eventually become starters or impact contributors. That hasn't been the case with linebacker Chad Muma. Having drafted Devin Lloyd in the first round, the Jags had no need for another linebacker but still double-dipped at the position and took Muma in the third round.
At the time, Muma was seen as a value pick, having slid despite the fact that he was one of the top linebacker prospects in 2022. However, he's not done much of note during his stint with the Jaguars, starting four games and tallying 62 tackles. In his defense, he's behind Lloyd and veteran Foyesade Oluokun, but if he showed enough in practice, the coaching staff would've found a way to give him more playing time. That hasn't been the case.
It hasn't all been bad though. Muma flashed as a rookie in relief of Lloyd but he returned to the sidelines after getting hurt. The issue was that he should've been better in his sophomore campaign but he wasn't. He was called upon, he was a liability in coverage and run defense. While there's a chance he could make a leap in Year 3, nobody will bat an eye if he doesn't.