The Jacksonville Jaguars had a myriad of issues in 2024. Whether it was inadequate coaching or a flawed roster, it showed in their 4-17 record. Not surprisingly, head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke got the boot. To replace them, the Jags hired Liam Coen and James Gladstone, respectively.
Once the new regime took over, several prominent players were kicked to the curb. Then, Jacksonville added several players in free agency. There's plenty of work left, but the roster is in much better shape than it was at the end of 2024.
But even if the Jags come out of the draft with a promising haul, they'll need a handful of underperforming players to step up if they want to have a shot at dethroning the Houston Texans next season. These five come to mind.
Tyson Campbell, cornerback
The truth is that Tyson Campbell wasn't dreadful in 2024, but he wasn't great either, and the Jags were paying him like a great player. You could make the case that his dip in production has been the result of injuries, but availability is arguably the most important ability in the NFL, and the former Georgia Bulldog sat up 11 games the past two seasons.
Sure, the Jags didn't have anyone to lean on behind Campbell, but that doesn't justify his underwhelming play the past two years. Back in 2022, he proved that he could be a top-10 cornerback, giving up a completion rate of 60.9 percent and less than 10.0 yards. The Plantation, Florida native will need to play like that if the Jags want to stop opposing teams from passing the football.
Gabe Davis, wide receiver
When the Jaguars gave Gabe Davis a three-year, $39 million deal last offseason, the positives were clear: His 16.2 yards per reception showed that he could provide a big-play element to the passing game. Moreover, he gave Trevor Lawrence a big target on an offense that desperately needed one. On the other hand, the negatives were too big to overcome.
Davis had a dreadful catch rate throughout his career and posted a career low of 47.6 for the Jaguars in 2024. Couple that with the fact that he suffered a season-ending injury, and Jacksonville's investment in the Fernandina Beach native doesn't look great one year later.
Working in Davis' favor is that he'll get a clean slate under Liam Coen, but if the new Jaguars head coach cannot get the most out of him, he could find himself on the unemployment line in 2026.
Antonio Johnson, defensive back
Antonio Johnson may not be as prominent as other players on this list, but his steep dip in production in 2024 was equally disappointing. A fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft, the East St. Louis, Illinois native showed promise early on, logging two interceptions and three passes defensed as a rookie.
Expected to make strides, Johnson moved to safety last year. However, he struggled more often than not and was eventually phased out in favor of veteran Darnell Savage, who was originally signed to play nickel. The sophomore defensive back eventually got back into the starting lineup but didn't do much of note.
Johnson will tentatively be behind Savage and newcomer Eric Murray on the depth chart. He has the talent to leap both of them, but it will be up to him to make the most of his chances. Otherwise, he'll have a hard time getting playing time in 2025.
Arik Armstead, defensive tackle
The only reason the Gabe Davis contract doesn't look worse is that the Jags also dropped the ball when they gave Arik Armstead a three-year, $43.5 million deal. On paper, it made sense, as he's been one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL since the San Francisco 49ers made him a first-round pick. But there lies the issue.
The Jags pay Armstead a premium to line up at defensive end, which doesn't make sense when you take into account that he's at his best when he plays inside. Still, the coaching staff tried to justify the decision, but the results speak for themselves: The former Oregon Duck only posted two sacks and hardly ever made plays.
The silver lining is that Armstead is switching back to defensive tackle in Armstead, so there's a chance Jacksonville will get glimpses of the dominant player he was with the Niners.
Trevor Lawrence, quarterback
Is Trevor Lawrence the reason the Jags went 4-13 last year? No. Could he have played better? You bet, but that's the thing. He wasn't dreadful. Rather, Jacskonville was too dependent on him.
To win, the Jags needed Lawrence to be near perfect, otherwise, a couple of mistakes would be enough to lose a game. You could make the case that quarterbacks are the players who have the biggest impact on the outcome of the game, and as such, they need to elevate everyone around them. That's true, but teams also need to help their signal-callers, and the Jaguars hardly ever put No. 16 in a position to succeed.
Fortunately, the new regime knows that they need to do a better job of helping Lawrence, so their offseason has revolved around getting him a better supporting cast and better coaching. If that isn't enough for No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft to play like the top quarterback he's expected to be, he should definitely be under scrutiny.
For the time being, Lawrence deserves to show what he can do with a bit of help.
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