5 former Jacksonville Jaguars players who could thrive on new teams in 2023

4. Jacksonville Jaguars player who could thrive on a new team: Josh Oliver

No NFL general manager has a perfect track record but David Caldwell consistently raised eyebrows when he was leading the Jaguars' front office. He traded some of the team's best players in exchange for draft picks instead of finding ways to keep them. Similarly, he botched most of the first-round draft picks Jacksonville had throughout most of his tenure. Not surprisingly, he was given the boot near the end of the 2020 season.

Having said that, he had a few hits. Not enough to outweigh his terrible decision-making but he struck gold now and then. For example, he selected tight end Josh Oliver in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The former San Jose State Spartan was expected to play a huge role on offense right out of the gate. However, a back injury cut his rookie season short after just four games.

Things didn't get much better for Oliver in his sophomore campaign, suffering a foot injury in training camp that shut him down for the year. The Jaguars' brass decided that they had seen enough of him and traded him to the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.

A healthy Oliver became a solid in-blocker for the Ravens right off the bat and went on to catch 23 passes for 215 yards with two touchdowns over the last two years. Even though he's not a top-echelon tight end, the Minnesota Vikings recognized his value and gave him a three-year deal worth $21 million in free agency.

The Vikes inked Oliver because of his pass-blocking prowess but he's also got a chance to contribute as a pass catcher. Oliver along with T.J. Hockerson gives Minnesota an appealing 1-2 punch at tight end.