The Jacksonville Jaguars have made progress after finishing 9-7 last season. Entering Week 14, they're 8-5 and with a favorable chance to make the playoffs for the second straight year, either as a division champion or a wild card. On the other hand, their weaknesses have surfaced in recent weeks, especially during their losses.
Now, this isn't the time to panic yet, but the front office needs to start putting together their list of offseason needs if they want to enjoy sustained success beyond 2023. While some of their position groups are in good shape heading the last stretch of the season, others, including the next four, will need considerable improvements next year.
4. Pass rush rotation
The Jaguars have a good promising pass duo in Travon Walker and Josh Allen. The former has made strides in Year 2 and has shown enough progress to make you think he can be the dominant player the Jaguars expected when they drafted him first overall last year. Allen, on the other hand, is having a career year, closing in on the franchise record of sacks in a season Calais Campbell set in 2017.
That said, the Jags need to boost their pass-rush rotation. They don't have anyone else behind Walker and Allen. Dawuane Smoot, for his part, missed an early part of the season while recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered last year. However, he hasn't done much of note since returning.
On the other hand, K'Lavon Chaisson, the 20th overall selection in 2020, hasn't improved much this season and could benefit from a fresh start somewhere else. Also in the mix is Yasir Abdullah, who hasn't been much of a factor, which isn't surprising when you take into account that he's a rookie and he's still getting acclimated to the NFL.
With Chaisson and Smoot expected to hit the open market next year, the Jags will need to round out their rotations, and the offseason would be a good time to bring him a high-end pass rusher. They could go broke and pursue Brian Burns in free agency (if available), or go after a promising prospect in the draft such as Chop Robinson.
Regardless of the path they take, the defense could benefit from another pass rusher alongside Josh Allen and Travon Walker.
3. Wide receiver
You would have probably gotten a blank stare if you had said that wide receiver would be a need for Jacksonville in 2024 but the truth is that the team isn't getting enough bang for their buck. Christian Kirk was having a productive campaign before a core injury sidelined him. On the other hand, Zay Jones dealt with a hamstring injury that forced him to sit out six games.
The injuries, though, shouldn't be held against either Kirk or Jones. After all, they're an inherent part of the spot. The issue is that the offense suffers a noticeable dropoff when they miss time. Maybe it has to do with the scheme or the current personnel they have. But regardless of their reason, the coaching staff should be able to overcome their absence.
This is concerning when you take into account that they brought in Calvin Ridley, who hasn't made the impact the Jaguars probably expected when they traded for him, at least from an outside perspective.
Maybe he's not a fit, or perhaps he needs another year to hit his stride after being away from football for more than a year. Either way, the Jags could be better off using the second-round pick they would need to give the Atlanta Falcons (if they extend Ridley) on a wide receiver in the 2024 draft.
Another possibility is using that second-rounder in another position and going after one of the top receivers in the open market, whether it's Tee Higgins or Mike Evans. The reason is that the current group hasn't been particularly great in 2023 but the Jaguars don't have to blow it up, they just need to make a tweak, albeit a sizable one.
2. Interior defensive line
As important as it is to bring another pass rusher, the Jaguars also need to address their interior defensive line. While they have depth across the group, their dearth of difference-makers has affected their ability to bring the heat and stop the run.
Josh Allen and Travon Walker do a heck of a job against the run, but their work is mostly on the edge. Meanwhile, the interior of the trenches is often exposed because they don't have the personnel to either take on blocks or close gaps. Granted, they're missing DaVon Hamilton, who got a three-year deal worth $34 million in the offseason but dealt with a non-football injury to start the season. When he was back in the fold, he wasn't 100 percent.
Hamilton was expected to have a breakout season, but it will probably have to wait until next year. There's also Folorunso Fatukasi, one of the team's splash acquisitions last year. The mammoth defensive tackle has flashed at times but injuries have prevented him from becoming a mainstay of the defensive trenches. While the Jaguars didn't expect him to be an All-Pro when they signed him, they haven't gotten consistent production from him either.
The rest of the Jacksonville defensive line is filled by good rotational players. Adam Gotsis has been an important piece since landing in Jacksonville in 2020 but he's better suited for a complementary role. The same is true for Angelo Blackson, who's gotten a bit of playing time this season and made the most of it.
Maybe rookie Tyler Lacy can develop into more than a rotational piece, but it would be unrealistic to expect him to turn into a Pro Bowl talent given that he was a fourth-round pick this past draft. The bottom line is that the Jaguars are lacking a difference-maker in the trenches, someone who can consistently collapse the pocket and stop the run. They need to get that player next year.
1. Interior offensive line
The Jaguars have dealt with lots of injuries this season, and their offensive line depth has been tested with Cam Robinson, Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland, and even Blake Hance taking turns at left tackle. But let's say they enjoy much better health up front next year, left tackle shouldn't be an issue. Left guard, and center, on the other hand, might be.
Ben Bartch was the starting left guard last year, but a dislocated knee cut his season short. The hope was that he was going to recover back in time for the 2023 opener. He did return but wasn't 100 percent. By Week 4, the team's brass had seen enough and benched him in favor of veteran Tyler Shatley.
While Shatley is a dependable backup who can play all three positions across the interior offensive line, he isn't a starting-caliber guard, which is why the Jaguars bumped Walker Little inside when Cam Robinson returned from a suspension to start the 2023 season. Little got hurt the same week he moved to guard, and Shatley was plugged back in but that was because they had nobody else.
That's probably why the Jags traded for Ezra Cleveland at the deadline. Cleveland, a second-round pick, was a good guard for the Minnesota Vikings, but he became expendable once Dalton Risner signed with them in September. Cleveland hasn't had enough time to show whether he should get an extension, but the Jaguars should consider bringing him back next year.
But whether the Jags keep Cleveland around, that shouldn't stop them from drafting a couple of hog mollies to replenish the offensive line. Also, adding a veteran to compete with Luke Fortner would make sense. Not only would they add depth to the group but Fortner could benefit from having a bit of a competition.
The jury is still out on the former Kentucky Wildcat, who hasn't shown enough progress in Year 2 to make you think he's the long-term answer at center. By bringing in veteran competition, he could get the nudge he needs, or show that a change is needed. The bottom line is that the Jaguars need to fortify the trenches if they want to do a better job of running the ball and keep Trevor Lawrence upright in 2024.