Jaguars crack the top 10 of B/R's power ranking ahead of 2023 training camp

The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the hottest team's in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season and that's reflected in Bleacher Report's power ranking ahead of training camp.

With players starting to report to training camp, the B/R staff took it upon themselves to rank all 32 clubs and placed the Jags at No. 9, noting that Trevor Lawrence gives them a good chance of keeping up with other powerhouses in the conference.

"Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has the look of the league's next superstar quarterback. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley joins a cadre of passing-game talent that was already stacked. Jacksonville was 24th last year in total defense but a respectable 12th in points allowed.

If the Jags get better on that side of the ball, they could be a legitimate threat to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and the AFC's other heavyweights."

The Jaguars are coming off their first winning season and first AFC South title since 2017. Led by Lawrence and head coach Doug Pederson, Jacksonville got off to a 2-6 start last season but went 7-2 the rest of the way, which was good enough to clinch the No. 4 seed in the postseason. Once they qualified for the playoffs, they made the most of the opportunity and beat the Los Angeles Chargers 31-30 in Super Wild Card Weekend.

Although the Jags ended up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round, they exceeded expectations and showed they could go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the league. Heading into the 2023 season, the bar has been raised even more. They're projected to make the playoffs once again and seize the division for the second straight year, a feat they've never pulled off.

Here are the other teams that made the top 10 of B/R's ranking:

• Baltimore Ravens (8)
• Miami Dolphins (7)
• Dallas Cowboys (6)
• San Francisco 49ers (5)
• Buffalo Bills (4)
• Philadelphia Eagles (3)
• Cincinnati Bengals (2)
• Kansas City Chiefs (1)

The Jaguars spot in Bleacher Report's top 10 is fair all things considered

Even though it's a bit odd to see the Bengals pop up ahead of the Eagles, the top 10 looks solid. You could make the case that the Jags are better than the Cowboys and the Ravens since they beat both clubs last year. However, what happened in 2022 doesn't have a bearing on the next season. Every team is undefeated and you should always expect the unexpected when it comes to the NFL.

Having said that, there are many reasons the Jaguars should have no trouble moving a handful of spots once the season starts. For starters, they have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. Also, head coach Doug Pederson will push his players to give their best at all times and won't let them settle for anything but a trip to the playoffs and the division crown.

Also, the Jacksonville roster doesn't have a glaring weakness. Some of their position groups could certainly use a boost but none of them are in desperate need of an infusion of talent.

It's also worth noting that the Jags will face off against Baltimore, the Niners, the Chiefs, and Buffalo next season, so they won't have a shortage of opportunities to prove they belong to the crème de la crème next season.

The Jaguars are getting lots of attention ahead of the 2023 season. They now need to prove it's been warranted. The good news it that they should be able to pull it off.

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