2022 Season Review
Record 9-8-0 Points for 404 ( 10th ) Points Allowed 350 ( 12th )
Off-season roster recap
Added: LB Willie Taylor , RB Qadree Ollison, WR Jacob Harris, WR Elijah Cooks, TE Sammis Reyes,OL Chandler Brown, OL Josh Wells, OT Samuel Jackson, DL Michael Dogbe, S Latavious Brini, K Brandon McManus
Lost: RB Mehki Sargent, OL Corey Peters, DL Jayson Adermiola, S Deionte Johnson, CB Shaquill Griffin, K Josh Lambo, DL Willie Peters, K Riley Paterson
Draft Recap Offense: (27 ) OL Anton Harrison, ( 61 ) TE Brenton Strange , ( 88 ) RB Tank Bigsby , ( 185 ) WR Parker Washington ( 226 ) OT Cooper Hodges
Draft Recap Defense
( 121 ) LB Ventrell Miller, ( 130 ) DE Tyler Lacy, ( 136 ) LB Yasir Abdullah, ( 160 ) SS Antonio Johnson , ( 202) CB Chrisitan Braswell, ( 208 ) DB Erick Hallet , ( 227 ) DT Raymond Vohasek , ( 240 ) EDGE Derek Parish
What a difference a year makes. A year ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were still trying to shed the stink of the Urban Meyer ordeal. The Jaguars franchise drastically improved in 2022 under the leadership of super bowl winning coach Doug Peterson are the clear favorites to win the division, and have a lot to offer from a fantasy football perspective.
The Jaguars' offense was hitting its stride late last season and looks to improve this season with the addition of former Falcons’ WR Calvin Ridley. The Jags were fortunate to be rewarded on their gamble to trade a 2023 5th-round pick and a conditional 2024 2nd-round pick for Ridley, who was suspended at that time by the NFL. Ridley has since been reinstated by the league and is ready to roll this season, adding to an already impressive lineup of pass catchers consisting of Chrisitan Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Engram, and running back Travis Etienne. How many targets can we expect for Ridley? With Marvin Jones Jr heading back to Detroit, his 81 targets are immediately in play. Jamal Agnew and Jamycal Hasty accounted for 56 targets of their own. Christian Kirk has quietly enjoyed two strong seasons and looks to follow up on his WR11 ( 84/1108/8 ) performance last year. Evan Engram enjoyed a bit of a rebirth, finishing as TE 5 last year setting a career-high in catches ( 73 ) and yards ( 766 ). These three pass catchers should be targeted early and often in your drafts.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence cemented himself as a rising star last year under proper mentorship, with a 25/8 TD to INT ratio. Lawrence is poised to take the next step into the elite tier of fantasy quarterbacks and has plenty of tools around him to make it a reality. The only drawback to his fantasy growth could be an improved defense, and an even weaker AFC South than last season. Tank Bigbsy was a bit of a surprise pick in the 2023 NFL draft, seeing as most figured Travis Etienne was the lead horse in that backfield. Etienne’s strength at Clemson was his prowess not only in running the ball but also in the passing game. However, Etienne was only targeted 45 times in 17 games last season, which would lead most to believe he could be relied on more as a pass catcher. Doug Peterson has never been a coach to lean heavily on one running back, so we could be looking at a fairly split backfield here, much to the dismay of fantasy owners with high hopes for Etienne. The run game also hinges on a looming suspension to Cam Robinson. How the Jaguars intend to rotate these two backs will obviously be a hot topic leading up to the fantasy draft season.
Defensively the Jaguars are solid with tremendous linebacker talent in Josh Allen and Devin Lloyd and Foyesade Oluokun. Foyesade is an IDP darling with 128 solo tackles last season, Last year’s first overall pick Traveon Walker will look to build upon his rookie campaign in which he recorded 3.5 sacks and 49 tackles. In a division that could potentially be starting three rookie quarterbacks, there is a good chance this unit could scoop up a lot of interceptions, sacks and force some fumbles. The team surprisingly declined the fifth-year option on former first-round pick K’Lavon Chiasson, who could stand to earn a big payday with a strong showing this year.
All signs point to the Jags continuing to improve and becoming a formidable opponent in the AFC. Winning the division shouldn’t require breaking a sweat, as Indianapolis, Houston, and Tennessee are all re-tooling.
What could hold them back? London.
The Jaguars' time-honored tradition of playing in England could catch up with them during the course of the year. Their games Week 4 vs Atlanta and Week 5 vs Buffalo put them across the pond for almost ten days. And this isn't just any trip overseas, it’s two games halfway across the world, without the benefit of the bye immediately following. The Jaguars return home for one week after London, then are on the road in New Orleans on a Thursday, Week 7, and in Pittsburgh Week 8 before their Week 9 bye. If Jacksonville can survive this stretch in one piece, it will be a true testament to their team and could be the type of confidence that spurs a deep playoff push.
2023 Schedule
Week 1 @ Indianapolis Week 2 Kansas City Week 3 Houston Week 4 Atlanta ( in London ) Week 5 @ Buffalo ( in London ) Week 6 Indianapolis Week 7 @ New Orleans Week 8 @ Pittsburgh Week 9 BYE Week 10 San Francisco Week 11 Tennessee Week 12 @ Houston Week 13 Cincinnati Week 14 @ Cleveland Week 15 Baltimore Week 16 @ Tampa Bay Week 17 Carolina Week 18 @ Tennessee
DraftKings O/U Prediction 9.5 wins
#mroviedo prediction 12 wins 5 losses
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