5 bold predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 season

The consensus sees the Houston Texans as the favorite to win the AFC South for the second year in a row. This is understandable when you take into account that they didn't have high expectations in 2023 but managed to take the NFL by storm with rookie sensation C.J. Stroud leading the way. The Jacksonville Jaguars, on the other hand, were projected to make a deep playoff push but didn't even qualify. That was last season, though. The Jags are ready to bounce back in 2024.

The team's brass spent the offseason making upgrades to the roster and head coach Doug Pederson brought in Ryan Nielsen to oversee the defense. Add a healthy Trevor Lawrence to the mix and Jacksonville is in a position to make noise.

Granted, the Jaguars must prove that last year was just a bump on the road and not a sign of things to come. Still, it's hard to look at all their pieces and not think that they can achieve big things next season. Precisely because you should always shoot for the moon, here are five bold predictions for the Jags in 2024.

Trevor Lawrence will be a first-ballot Pro Bowl selection in 2024

Many fans have tuned out of the Pro Bowl because players are often selected based on name recognition and lifetime achievements rather than their actual production any given year.

The fact that players often opt out and other less deserving ones replace them has also watered down the award a bit. For instance, Gardner Minshew made the Pro Bowl as an alternate last year, but that was only after Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott had opted out. Moreover, he was chosen only after other passers had declined the invitation.

This is to say being an alternate doesn't carry the same weight as being a first-ballot Pro Bowl nod. For instance, Trevor Lawrence was an alternate in 2022 and was offered to be a replacement last season but declined. In 2024, though, No. 16 will get his first-ballot selection.

Granted, competition will be stiff as Lawrence will need to outperform the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert. When you factor in that he plays in the same conference as Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, Steezy Trev will have his work cut out to make the Pro Bow, but if he can perform a full season like he did at the end of 2022, he'll have a realistic shot.

Josh Hines-Allen will be a legitimate candidate for DPOY, register 20 sacks

Back in 2019, Josh Hines-Allen registered 10.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl. Then again, the Jaguars also had Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell in the fold at the time. It's fair to say that the presence of two vested veterans made things a bit easier for Hines-Allen. For proof, he only had 2.5 sacks the following year. In his defense, a knee injury limited him to eight games but it's not hard to see the dip in production without Campbell and Ngakoue.

Then in 2021, the former Kentucky Wildcat flashed signs of dominance but was also inconsistent at times. He ended up logging 7.5 sacks that year, and 7.0 the season after. Needing to prove he was the game-changer the Jaguars thought he was when they drafted him ninth overall, Hines-Allen broke out in 2023, setting a new franchise record for sacks in a season with 17.5. Having Travon Walker on the opposite edge certainly helped, and the Virginia native should have an even better 2024.

Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen has put a renewed emphasis on fundamentals and technique. Moreover, he'll run a 4-3 scheme where Hines-Allen will rush the quarterback from a three-point stance. If that wasn't enough the Jags signed Arik Armstead to bolster the interior defensive line.

When you put everything together, Hines-Allen is in a position to break his own sack record and even receive a few votes for the Defensive Player of the Year.

Ryan Nielsen and his defense will rank in the top 5 in points surrendered and total yards

Speaking of Ryan Nielsen and Josh Hines-Allen, the defense will be among the top 5 in the NFL next season when it comes to both points and yards allowed. Is it farfetched? Maybe, but it's a reasonable expectation when you take into account the talent they had last year and the one they brought in during the offseason.

Cornerstones such as linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, safety Andre Cisco, Travon Walker, the aforementioned Hines-Allen, and cornerback Tyson Campbell — just to name a few — are back. But the Jaguars' brass didn't think they suffice, so they also added reinforcements in Arik Armstead, slot Darnell Savage, and cornerback Ronald Darby.

With lots of talent and running a tighter ship than his predecessor, Nielsen is going to lead a top-5 unit in 2024.

The Jaguars will seize the No. 2 playoff seed in the AFC South

The Jaguars earned a playoff seed in 2022 by virtue of being division winners. For a brief moment last year, they were in contention for the top spot in the AFC. They ultimately faltered but the fact that they were even part of the conversation goes on to show that they're capable of achieving big things.

It will be a tough hill to climb but Jacksonville has the talent and a seasoned head coach in Doug Pederson to potentially dethrone the Houston Texans as the tough team in the AFC South. Not only that, they have what it takes to finish with a better record and playoff seeding than clubs such as the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills, and the Baltimore Ravens.

You could argue that the Jaguars underachieved in 2023 and you would be right. But that's the point! They didn't play up to their talent level. Imagine what they can achieve if they do. No. 2 seed in the AFC South, here we come.

The Jaguars will reach their 4th AFC Championship game in team history

The Jaguars have played in three AFC Championships since their inception. Two in the 1990s and one in 2017. The last one left a sour taste in the mouth because in case you didn't know it, Myles Jack wasn't down. Either way, that was then, and Jacksonville will give their best to ensure they reach the conference game in 2024.

While most pundits have the Jags winning around 8.5 games this season, they have the pieces to overachieve like they did in 2022. That year, they were projected to win around six games. They ended up winning nine and claiming the AFC South. Then, they stunned the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round of the postseason. Nobody but themselves is stopping them from advancing further and as far as the conference matchup in 2024.

More Jaguars analysis here: