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5 Jaguars players primed for a bounce-back season in 2024

• These 5 Jaguars underachived in 2023. They should have no trouble bouncing back next season.

By Carlos Sanchez

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates his pass for a touchdown score to
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates his pass for a touchdown score to / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA
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Jaguars DT DaVon Hamilton is a prime candidate to rebound in 2024

The 2020 NFL Draft was among the Jaguars' worst in recent years. Their first three picks (C.J. Henderson, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Laviska Shenault Jr.) had a marginal impact during their stint in Jacksonville. None of them remain on the team right now. On the bright side, defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton, the Jags' third-round pick in 2020, has become a core contributor on the defensive front.

Hamilton joined the starting linup as a rookie and never looked back. He progressively got better and was expected to have a breakout season after switching to defensive end in 2023. Unfortunately, the player affectionately known as Ham suffered a non-football back injury in the preseason that hampered for most of the year.

With enough time to rest, Hamilton is doing much better. Head coach Doug Pederson expects him to have a huge impact in 2024. With defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen running a 4-3 defense, Hamilton will return to defensive tackle, but he will have a more active role. Instead of being asked to take on double teams, so his teammates can make plays, he'll be tasked with creating pressure and getting after the quarterback.

Keep in mind, that Nielsen's forte is the defensive line, so it wouldn't be shocking to see the former Ohio State product enjoy the breakout season the team expected him to have last year.

Jaguars WR Christian Kirk is a prime candidate to rebound in 2024

Wide receiver Christian Kirk didn't underachieve last season. Instead a core injury forced him to sit out the last four games of the season. Looking back, his presence was sorely missed. Without him drawing coverage away from Calvin Ridley, opposing teams had no trouble stopping the Jaguars' offense.

Before the injury, Kirk was on pace to register his second straight 1,000-yard season. On top of that, his average of 13.8 yards per reception was a career-best. With Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis in the fold, the former Texas A&M Aggie should get several favorable matchups next season.

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