Team Preview
Jacksonville Jaguars
2023-24 Record 9-8
Points Scored: 377 13th of 32
Points Allowed: 371 17th of 32
Key Additions: QB Mac Jones, WR Gabe Davis, WR Devin Duvernay K Riley Patterson DE Arik Armstead, S Terrel Edmunds, DB Tre Flowers
Losses: QB Gardner Minshew, RB Zack Moss, WR Calvin Ridley, WR Zay Jones K Brandon McManus S Rayshawn Jenkins CB Darious Williams
Draft picks: (23rd) WR Brian Thomas Jr LSU (48th) DT Mason Smith, LSU (96th) DB Jarrian Jones Florida St, (114th) OL Javon Foster, Missouri, (116th) DT Jordan Jefferson, LSU (153rd) CB Deantre Prince, Mississippi, (167th) RB Keilan Robinson, Texas (212th) K Cam Little, Arkansas (236th) OLB Myles Cole, Texas Tech
Summary: The Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves at a bit of a crossroads. They have a franchise quarterback, 2021 first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence. A tremendous lead runner in Travis Etienne. They have solid receiving weapons such as Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram, and just added Gabriel Davis from Buffalo. A Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Peterson and a young talented defensive group led by Foyesade Olukoun, Josh Allen, and 2022 1st overall pick Traveyon Walker. But in the perennially tight AFC, it almost feels as if the window is closing on this Jaguars team.
Passing: Lawrence’s career numbers are worse than you may expect; a career 58/39 TD/INT ratio, a QBR of 56.1 (18th in the NFL), and an 88.5% passer rating (21st in the NFL) in 2023. Lawrence’s play must improve not only for the Jaguars to be contenders, but also for his status amongst fantasy-relevant quarterbacks. It isn’t as if he has not had the supporting cast; Jacksonville had brought in Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley to help grow the third-year pass caller. Something has to give for this offense to move forward.
Rushing: In the backfield, it’s all Travis Etienne. Tank Bigsby was expected to cut into the workload last year and that simply did not happen. As it stands, Etienne is one of the last true workhorses in the NFL. At some point, the Jaguars should lean on D’Earnest Johnson or Bigsby to keep Etienne fresh; but if Jacksonville is fighting for a playoff spot, is that a luxury they can claim?
Receiving: At wide receiver, the Jaguars spent their first-round selection on LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. He figures to fill the void of recently departed Calvin Ridley on the outside. Thomas had a tremendous 2023 at LSU, amassing a staggering 68/1177/17 junior year. Christian Kirk looks to rebound after a letdown year in 2023, after finishing the 2022 season as WR11, he will look to regain that form this season. If you can get anything close to Kirk’s 2022 ( 84/1108/8 ) that will be a draft-day steal. Gabe Davis looks to have a more prominent role in the passing game as he heads south back to the Sunshine State. The UCF alum has had glimpses of greatness; is it sustainable in any way? Or is he simply a best-ball asset? Evan Engram quietly led the NFL in targets by a Tight End last season with 140 targets and has solidified his role in that offense. With the departure of Ridley and Zay Jones, 200 targets from the wide receiver position alone are up for grabs. How is it distributed?
Defense: The Jaguars will be led this year by Ryan Nielsen, who has worked previously with the Saints and Falcons. He inherits a group of talented veterans; Josh Allen, and Arik Armstead, who will have their hands full with elite offenses from start to finish of the season. The Jaguars finished 9th against the run in 2023 but allowed the 7th most yards through the air. Quickly; scroll down and look at the Jaguars’ schedule. Yep. Whoa. Whoa. On paper, the Patriots and Raiders seem to be their only softer matchups.
Fantasy Summary: There is plenty of meat on the bone here. Trevor Lawrence has QB1 upside, Travis Etienne is coming off an RB3 season with 12 total touchdowns. The trio of receivers Kirk/Davis/Thomas Jr all stand to benefit from a team that will need to score points in an ultra-competitive conference. Evan Engram will be an underrated target at the tight end position that falls on draft day, for no good reason. Given Jacksonville’s struggles of late, all of these players could be had at a discount on draft day.
Prediction: 9-8. The vastly improving AFC South is no walk in the park. The Jaguars must get career years on both sides of the ball. There will be plenty of pressure on Trevor Lawrence after earning his big payday and looking to prove his worth to the franchise. Consistency must be the key for a franchise that has been anything but. Is Christian Kirk a true WR1 on his team? Can Gabe Dave be a week-in-week out thread? Does Brian Thomas hit as a rookie? Can the defense bend and not break?
Schedule:
Week 1 @ Miami Dolphins
Week 2 vs Cleveland Browns
Week 3 @ Buffalo Bills
Week 4 @ Houston Texans
Week 5 vs Indianapolis Colts
Week 6 @ Chicago Bears ( in England )
Week 7 Vs New England Patriots ( in England )
Week 8 vs Green Bay Packers
Week 9 @ Philadelphia Eagles
Week 10 vs Minnesota Vikings
Week 11 @ Detroit Lions
Week 12 BYE WEEK
Week 13 vs Houston Texans
Week 14 @ Tennessee Titans
Week 15 vs New York Jets
Week 16 @ Las Vegas Raiders
Week 17 vs Tennessee Titans
Week 18 @ Indianapolis Colts
Comments