Jaguars have nobody to blame but themselves for being overlooked in 2024

The Jacksonville Jaguars were seen as a Super Bowl sleeper last year. After going 8-3 to start the season, it seemed like they were going to live up to expectations. However, they only won one of their last six games and ultimately failed to make the playoffs. All the good grace they had built in 2022 was out of the window. Rightly, the Jags are now flying under the radar. Nevertheless, Dan Hicken of 1010 XL is amused with the lack of attention they're getting from the national media.

Hicken wonders if Jacksonville is being disrespected this offseason, citing a handful of position rankings as the reason.

"National media does not respect our Jags. The heck of you guys," Hicken said. "I can get certain things. I'm ok, I'll argue ETN, but if you put them in No. 10 at the running back spot, 10th best running back in the NFL, okay. Evan Ingram, No. 11. He needs to be a little bit higher. Okay, not the end of the world."

Hicken continued, "But when I don't see Josh Hines Allen anywhere in the top 20 of edge rushers. The guy who was second in the league in sacks last year with 17.5. I don't see him in the top 20, then I know. Okay, I get it. I'll move on. I'm not going to worry about you guys. I'm going to worry about this football team. And listen, there's no question these Jaguars are gonna have to play better this year than they did, but they're a confident bunch, right?"

"We talked to Tyson Campbell on the radio this week. There's a reset going on. There's a new defensive coordinator. A lot of excitement about the defense. I think they'll be better. I think there's still some questions. I see them right down the middle here, right? I see them like they're 9-8. They can go 10-7, 11-6. They could go 8-9, 7-10 if things go bad. So it'll be interesting to see."

Hicken is right Josh Hines-Allen didn't make CBS Sports' pass-rush rankings. Whether you believe it was an oversight or they genuinely omitted him, the two-time Pro Bowl nod did appear in ESPN's top 10 rankings and PFF's list, so it's hard to say that he's being disrespected.

On the other hand, several Jaguars players, whether it's Travis Etienne or Evan Engram, have popped up in position rankings throughout the offseason, so you cannot claim that they're being overlooked. Sure, you can argue that they're deserving of a higher spot but you cannot say with a straight face that they're not getting attention.

If anything, the Jags aren't getting the spotlight because they finished second in the AFC South and failed to qualify for the postseason. Teams that did make the playoffs are rightly going to get more coverage. Here's the clip of Hicken sharing his thoughts.

Confident help the Jacksonville Jaguars get the national spotlight, wins will

By his own admission, Hicken acknowledges that the Jacksonville Jaguars must play better and could have a losing season if they don't. Moreover, he cites "confidence" as the reason they should get more attention from the national media. You will be hard-pressed to find someone who echoes that sentiment.

While you can debate whether Jaguars players should've gotten a high spot in position rankings, they won't get more favorable coverage until they start winning football games. The good news is that they made enough changes in the offseason to make it happen.

The team's brass addressed most needs, and defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen should oversee a makeover on his side of the ball. On top of that, Trevor Lawrence is healthy and should benefit from an improved arsenal of weapons and better protection up front.

The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars are indeed overlooked but that was because they came crashing down in 2023. If they can bounce back, it won't be long before they get the spotlight once again.

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