Jaguars WR Gabe Davis should be fueled by appearance in dubious list

The Jacskonville Jaguars upgraded their wide receiver corps in the offseason. While they lost Calvin Ridley and released Zay Jones, they signed Gabe Davis in free agency and later drafted Brian Thomas Jr. When you factor in the presence of Christian Kirk, and tight end Evan Engram, Trevor Lawrence's arsenal of weapons looks in great shape. That said, Devid Kenyon of Bleacher Report isn't particularly high on Davis, going as far as saying that he could potentially be a bust in 2024.

Kenyon identified a player in each NFL team with bust potential. For Jacksonville, he chose the Fernandina Beach native, arguing that he was unremarkable during his four-year stint with the Buffalo Bills.

"One of the more curious free-agent contracts of 2024 went to Gabe Davis, who became a non-factor for Buffalo last season yet landed a three-year, $39 million offer from Jacksonville. Calvin Ridley's departure opens up a bunch of targets on the Jags' offense, but that doesn't mean Davis will suddenly be a consistent producer unlike in Buffalo."

Davis, a fifth-round pick in 2020 by the Bills, has appeared in 64 games with 47 starts, hauling in 163 receptions for 2,730 yards with 27 touchdowns. One of his biggest criticisms is that he didn't get plenty of targets on the Bills offense. Moreover, he's only crossed the 800-yard mark once and has never logged 50 catches in a season in Buffalo.

Having said that, Davis will be an upgrade over Zay Jones. His 16.7 yards per catch shows that he's got the ability to stretch the field, something the Jags were missing last year. On top of that, the front office gave him a three-year deal worth $39 million not because of his production in Buffalo but rather because of his big-play potential and what he will do catching passes from Trevor Lawrence.

It's also worth noting that Davis is a great blocker. While a receiver's main skill is catching passes, you also want them to contribute when they're not getting the ball.

The Jaguars made a similar move in 2022. Back then, they gave top-market contracts to Kirk and Jones and got plenty of scrutiny for it. Both went on to have career years. Jones has since been released but he certainly showed improvement in Jacksonville. On the other hand, Kirk had never had 1,000 yards in his career but accomplished the feat in his first season in Jags uniform.

Why Gabe Davis will have a career year with the Jaguars in 2024

When the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Gabe Davis, it seemed like they were bringing him in as a potential replacement for Calvin Ridley. In reality, they wanted them to play alongside each other. Unfortunately, Ridley bolted for the Tennesse Titans, and not long after the Jags drafted Brian Thomas Jr., they gave Zay Jones his walking papers.

In Jacksonville, Davis won't be WR1. In fact, he could be the third or fourth option in the passing game depending on the opponent. Thomas will start, and both Christian Kirk and tight end Evan Engram will get the lion's share of the targets, leaving Davis in more of a complementary role.

That said, Davis won't be an afterthought on the Jaguars defense. He'll get ample playing time and targets. He probably won't reach the 1,000-yard mark in 2024 but expecting him to set new career bests for catches in a season and even receiving yards is reasonable if he stays healthy. At an annual salary of $13 million, those would be good numbers.

Now, there's always a chance that a signing won't pan out but the Jacksonville Jaguars are confident Gabe Davis can give their offense a boost.

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