Following a disappointing end to 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars have their work cut out if they want to work their way up in the AFC South. Having said that, they have enough pieces in place to experience a turnaround as soon as next season. That's led Gary Davenport to dub the Jags a Cinderella team.
Davenport drew up a list of NFL clubs that could exceed expectations in 2025 and included Jacksonville, pointing out that the arrival of Liam Coen and a healthy Trevor Lawrence could lead to a resurgence next season.
"Coen's arrival won't magically fix an offensive line ranked 22nd in the league last year, per Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network. Or a pass defense that allowed 257.4 yards per game last season—most in the NFL.
But the Jaguars aren't without young talent on both sides of the ball, whether it's wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. on offense or edge-rusher Travon Walker on defense.
If Lawrence can put together a rebound season this year, the Jags could be a surprise factor in a weak AFC South."
Back in 2022, Doug Pederson helped the Jags make the playoffs and win the AFC South. Expected to be even better the following year, they instead came up short of the playoffs and ceded the division to the Houston Texans.
Thinking they were close to competing in 2024, the Jaguars reloaded last offseason. But despite their free-agency splurge, they got even worse and finished 4-13. After the season ended, Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke were shown the door. To replace them, the top brass brought in Coen and James Gladstone. The duo has proceeded to make significant changes.
Just before free agency, Jacksonville moved on from long-time offensive staples Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. Then, the front office filled several roster holes in free agency. While most of the signings won't get the spotlight, Gladstone accomplished what he wanted: Raise the team's roster floor.
In fact, you could make the case the Jaguars had the best free-agency haul in the AFC South, but would that be enough to either make the playoffs or dethrone Houston?
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Why the Jaguars get ahead of the Texans in the AFC South
The AFC South is perceived as one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, and it's hard to argue that. Then again, that's good news for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished third in the division last year.
Unlike the Indianapolis Colts or the Tennessee Titans, the Jaguars have a long-term answer at quarterback with Trevor Lawrence behind center. Sure, he's coming off an underwhelming season that ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury, but one of the main reasons Jacksonville hired Liam Coen was to help him play to the best of his capabilities like he did for Baker Mayfield last year.
With Coen as his offensive coordinator, Mayfield had a career year. Similarly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running game from the worst in the league to one of the top 5. To ensure the new Jaguars head coach gets the most out of Lawrence and gets the running game going, James Gladstone has spent the offseason making upgrades to the roster.
Of course, Gladstone hasn't solely devoted resources to bolster the offense. He's also gotten defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile a few players that could help him get his unit back on track.
Of course, there's plenty of work left, but if Jacksonville comes out of the 2025 NFL Draft with a good haul, it will have a legitimate chance to compete for the division title. Add the fact that the Houston Texans do have a quarterback but made several questionable moves in free agency, and it's easy to see why the AFC South could be open next season.
Now, the odds are stacked against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but that was also the case in 2022, and they beat them. Gary Davenport believes they have a strong case to do it again next season.