The Jacksonville Jaguars come off a very devastating year finishing last in the AFC South with a 3-14 record. The Jaguars let go of former head coach Urban Meyer prior to their Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans. Jacksonville also fired numerous assistant coaches following the season. General manager Trent Baalke and newly hired head coach Doug Pederson are off to a great start, but need to make many more moves to get the Jaguars out of the basement and back to relevancy in NFL play.
Get Trevor Lawrence Some More Receivers and Offensive Line Help
Trevor Lawrence struggled mightily in his rookie season throwing 17 interceptions compared to just 12 touchdowns. So the Jaguars need to help give him more time and some more targets. Outside of Marvin Jones Jr., who finished with 832 yards and four touchdowns, the Jags lacked consistent targets to help progress Lawrence’s development. It also did not help that talented receiver DJ Chark Jr. missed out on the final 13 games of the year with an ankle injury. Speaking of Chark Jr., he just signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions. Signing former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk to a four-year deal is a start to something, but some later draft picks may want to be focused on that position.
As for the offensive line, the Jaguars could use some guys to allow protection for Lawrence and James Robinson running the football. Jacksonville has plenty of potential in young lineman such as Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor. However, it is hard to put that much pressure on young guys early on. Therefore, the Jags may want to look in the free agency pool to pick up some seasoned lineman to give Lawrence more time to show off his arm talent.
Recently, the Jaguars signed former Washington Commander Brandon Scherff to a three-year, $49.5 million contract. Scherff is a Pro Bowl guard who is now getting into his 30s and offers leadership on the line. Another free agency pick up will give Jacksonville a better chance to have a more efficient offense.
Get the Defense More Boosted with Experience
It isn’t like the Jaguars have nobody on defense. Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson make for some formidable linebackers to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but there needs to be some help from other position groups. Baalke has not been shy on spending to get the talent back to Duval County and getting players for the secondary would be a good thing to accomplish. Tyson Campbell does stand out as a player with a high ceiling, but he is only in his sophomore season in the league. A potential target includes Stephon Gilmore, an old and seasoned veteran that could provide leadership to the entire defense. Another is Marcus Maye, a former Florida Gator, who more than likely would not mind a change of scenery from the New York Jets. One more target for Jacksonville is Joe Haden, another former Gator. Haden finished with 26 tackles, a forced fumble, and six passes defended last season.
At the defensive line position, the Jags could use their first overall pick to take Aidan Hutchinson out of Michigan. In Ann Arbor, the six-foot-six 265-pound defensive end was a matchup nightmare for offenses. Offensive coordinators would have to know where he was on the field at all times as he amassed 36 solo tackles, 14 sacks, and two forced fumbles last season for the Wolverines. His performances in big games is also uncanny. In “the game” against Ohio State, Hutchinson had three sacks and seven total tackles (solo and assisted). His career day helped his team end an eight-year drought against the Buckeyes in the biggest game of the year for both teams. The Jags need a guy like this to boost their defensive performances on a weekly basis.
Jacksonville will also need a replacement for leading tackler Myles Jack, who recently got released.
(Featured image via Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)