5 Jaguars staring at their chance to earn their 1st Pro Bowl selection in 2024

In 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars ended a three-year stretch of not having any of their players make the Pro Bowl when punter Ross Matisick and outside linebacker Josh Allen got the nod. You could argue that Trevor Lawrence and return specialist Jamal Agnew made the cut the year prior but they did it as alternates, which doesn't carry the same weight.

For instance, Gardner Minshew was invited to the last edition but only after other quarterbacks, including Lawrence, declined to go. Still, sending Allen and Matisick was a step in the right direction for the Jags. It wouldn't be shocking to see other players earn a designation for the first time in 2024. These five should have a favorable shot.

Travis Etienne, running back

Key stats from 2023: 267 carries for 1,008 yards, 5 TDs, 3.8 yards per carry

Running back Travis Etienne had a somewhat down season in 2023. Although he crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year, he averaged 1.3 yards less than he did in 2022. Then again, it was his fault. He was among the league leaders in broken tackles, so it's fair to say that he was trying to get those extra yards every time he got the ball.

This begs the question, why did the former Clemson Tiger's effectiveness suffer? The offensive line was mostly responsible. He was stuffed for no gain in one of every four carries. That was the worst rate of any team in the NFL the past five years. Similarly, 40 percent of their runs gained one yard or less.

Simply put, you won't be able to break off many big runs if you already have several defenders waiting for you before you even get to the line of scrimmage. Fortunately for Etienne, the Jags beefed up the offensive trenches in the offseason. They only made one meaningful addition but it was an important one.

The team's brass signed veteran Mitch Morse in free agency. He'll replace incumbent Luke Fortner at center. Fortner's pass-block win rate was among the worst in the league and he wasn't much better in rock blocking. Morse should give the interior offensive line an immediate boost. Jacksonville also brought back Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Scherff to ensure there's continuity up front.

For his part, Etienne has been honing his skills in the offseason. He said at Organized Team Activities that he's been working on becoming more disciplined.

"I've always had great vision," via the team's official website. "I feel like for me, it's more about just being more disciplined, not trying to get a touchdown every time I touch the ball. I feel like college kind of ruined me with that, just being able to get the ball and just score touchdowns every play."

Behind an improved offensive line, Etienne should have a strong shot at representing the Jaguars in the next edition of the Pro Bowl games.

Devin Lloyd, linebacker

After drafting Travon Walker first overall in 2022, the Jags traded back into the first round to take linebacker Devin Lloyd with the 27th overall pick because they couldn't pass on his talent. Looking back, it looks like they were into something.

Lloyd had a strong start to his NFL career, logging two interceptions and six passes defensed in his first three games. However, he faded down the stretch and was eventually benched in favor of fellow linebacker Chad Muma. The former Utah Ute eventually got his job back but only after Muma got hurt.

Despite his struggles as a rookie, Lloyd entered the 2023 season as the unquestioned starter opposite veteran Foyesade Oluokun. Although he didn't have as many big plays as the year prior, he was more consistent in pass coverage as a run defender. The California native should be even better in 2024.

Not only is Lloyd in the best shape of his football career but he'll also reap the benefits of playing in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen's scheme, which will allow him to best use his skill set and athleticism.

Travon Walker, edge rusher

Josh Allen earned a Pro Bowl selection last year. Teammate Travon Walker could follow suit. When the Jags used the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, they knew he was somewhat of a project and he was going to need time to develop. Their patience is slowly paying off.

Walker mostly lined up in a three-point stance at Georgia but switched to standup linebacker with the Jags. He had a mostly quiet rookie season, but that was expected because he was making the transition to playing in a two-point stance. With a better grasp of his new position, the former Bulldog had an even better sophomore campaign.

Back in 2022, Walker registered just 4.5 sacks but had 10.0 last year. That goes on to show he's trending in the right direction but as promising as his development has been, the best is yet to come for the former Georgia Bulldog.

Walker will play with his hand on the ground, where he's at his best, in Ryan Nielsen's scheme. On top of that, signing defensive tackle Arik Armstead will be beneficial for both him and bookend pass rusher Josh Allen.

With Armstead commanding attention from opposing teams in the middle, Allen and Walker will find more favorable matchups on the edges more often, which will lead to better production.

Back in 2017, the duo of Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngkaoue made the Pro Bowl, so seeing Allen and Walker get the nod in 2024 is within the realm of possibilities.

Andre Cisco, safety

Safety Andre Cisco was a playmaker in college. In 24 games at Syracuse, he registered 13 interceptions, and 14 passes defensed. You would think that a player of his caliber would've been a surefire first-round pick, but medical red flags made the former Orangeman slide to the third in 2021.

The Jaguars knew Cisco had dealt with injuries in his last two college seasons but still took a chance on him. They made the right call, as he's been mostly healthy the past three years. Even though the New York, Queens native spent most of his rookie campaign, he flashed his playmaking skills when he was given a chance.

Cisco joined the starting lineup in 2022 and has made the most of his playing time, registering seven interceptions and 15 pass deflections the past two years. Kris Richard, known for his work with defensive backs, in all of his previous stops joined the Jaguars' coaching staff in the offseason. He should be able to unlock Cisco's full potential in 2024.

Trevor Lawrence, quarterback

Trevor Lawrence is coming off a somewhat underwhelming season but proved that can play at an elite level when he helped the Jaguars qualify for the postseason and and mounted the biggest comeback in playoff history.

Even last year, Lawrence was still performing at a high level but wasn't able to build consistency behind a porous offensive line. To make matters worse, the offense became one-dimensional, which added more pressure to his shoulders, because they couldn't get the running game going.

But despite regressing in 2023, the Jaguars gave him a contract that makes him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. The team's brass also recognized that they needed to surround the former Clemson Tiger with better talent, so they spent the offseason making upgrades to the offensive trenches and his arsenal of weapons.

When you factor in that Steezy Trev is at last healthy after dealing with a myriad of injuries last year, he's now in a good position to be a first-ballot Pro Bowler in 2024.

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