Jacksonville has struggled since an AFC Championship appearance in 2018, can the Jags get the train back on track?
From the AFC Championship to the bottom of the AFC South, much has transpired in Jacksonville over the past 2 years. This was a team that had a small window to win after handing out big contracts. Unfortunately for Jaguar fans, they were unable to secure a championship or continued postseason success in that window.
Now there is a transition period in Jacksonville. Jalen Ramsey and Calais Campbell are gone, and Yannick Ngakoue may be on the way out as well. The Jaguars front office has been committed to building this defense back up despite those veterans leaving. They have drafted 4 defensive players in the first round from 2018-2020.
The question is, when does this team start to focus on the offensive side of the ball? Leonard Fournette is a premier running back in this league. DJ Chark stepped up big time as a 2nd round pick from last year. Outside of those 2, the Jaguars have not done much in trying to build an offense with firepower.
It does make sense that the Jaguars stay true to their identity, which is on the defensive side. But at some point they do need to recognize the need to put more resources into the offensive side of the ball.
For 2020, Gardner Minshew will be given the keys to the offense. Minshew had a solid rookie season finishing with 21 touchdowns in 14 games. As a 6th round pick in 2019, he has the potential to make up for the lack of investments put into the offense. If he proves to be reliable once again in 2020, the Jaguars can think about building around Minshew rather than look for his replacement.
Let’s take a deeper look at the Jaguars 2019 season, 2020 offseason, and what lies ahead in 2020.
2019 Team Ranks
| Total Offense | 20th (5468 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 16th (3760 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 17th (1708 yards) |
| Total Defense | 24th (6007 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 16th (3778 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 28th (2229 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 18.8 |
| PPG Allowed | 24.8 |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 26th |
| Football Outsiders (Run Block) | 27th |
| Football Outsiders (Pass Block) | 16th |
Coaching Staff Changes
| Jay Gruden replaces John DeFilippo as OC |
| Ben McAdoo replaces Scott Milanovich as QB Coach |
Offseason Additions
| Joe Schobert LB |
| Rodney Gunter DE |
| Tyler Eifert TE |
| Al Woods DT |
| Rashaan Melvin CB |
| Chris Thompson RB |
| Mike Glennon QB |
| Aaron Lynch OLB |
| Cassius Marsh DE |
Offseason Losses
| Calais Campbell DE |
| AJ Bouye CB |
| Cedric Ogbuehi OT |
| Marqise Lee WR |
| Nick O’Leary TE |
| Seth Devalve TE |
| Jake Ryan LB |
| Nick Foles QB |
2020 NFL Draft
| Round 1 (9) – C.J. Henderson CB Florida |
| Round 1 (20) – K’Lavon Chaisson Edge LSU |
| Round 2 (42) – Laviska Shenault Jr. WR Colorado |
| Round 3 (73) – DaVon Hamilton DT Ohio State |
| Round 4 (116) – Ben Bartch OT St. John’s (Minn) |
| Round 4 (137) – Josiah Scott CB Michigan State |
| Round 4 (140) – Shaquille Quarterman LB Miami |
| Round 5 (157) – Daniel Thomas S Auburn |
| Round 5 (165) – Collin Johnson WR Texas |
| Round 6 (189) – Jake Luton QB Oregon State |
| Round 6 (206) – Tyler Davis TE Georgia Tech |
| Round 7 (223) – Chris Claybrooks CB Memphis |
2020 Schedule with record vs opponents since 2017
| Week 1 – vs Indianapolis Colts 1 PM ET CBS | 4-2 |
| Week 2 – at Tennessee Titans 1 PM ET CBS | 1-5 |
| Week 3 – vs Miami Dolphins 8:20 PM ET NFL Network (TNF) | 1-0 |
| Week 4 – at Cincinnati Bengals 1 PM ET CBS | 2-0 |
| Week 5 – at Houston Texans 1 PM ET CBS | 2-4 |
| Week 6 – vs Detroit Lions 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 7 – BYE | |
| Week 8 – at Los Angeles Chargers 4:05 PM ET CBS | 1-1 |
| Week 9 – vs Houston Texans 1 PM ET CBS | 2-4 |
| Week 10 – at Green Bay Packers 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 11 – vs Pittsburgh Steelers 1 PM ET CBS | 2-1 |
| Week 12 – vs Cleveland Browns 1 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 13 – at Minnesota Vikings 1 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 14 – vs Tennessee Titans 1 PM ET CBS | 1-5 |
| Week 15 – at Baltimore Ravens 1 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 16 – vs Chicago Bears 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 17 – at Indianapolis Colts 1 PM ET CBS | 4-2 |
Miscellaneous Notes
| Josh Allen led all rookies with sacks in 2019 (10.5) |
| JAC has been 11-21 since appearing in the 2018 AFC Championship |
| 2019 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 61.9% |
| Rush – 38.1% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2019 |
| 1. DJ Hayden CB 76.9 |
| 2. Taven Bryan DT 75.6 |
| 3. Brandon Linder C 75.3 |
| 4. DJ Chark WR 75.2 |
| 5. Jarrod Wilson FS 72.8 |
| Players who opted out of 2020 season |
| Lerentee McCray DE |
| Rashaan Melvin CB |
| Al Woods DT |
Burning Question: How big of an impact can Josh Allen make in year 2?
Bottom Line: The Jaguars will have to rely on young players to grow up very quickly if they want any shot at the postseason. I do like the talent they brought in through the draft over the past 2 years. Josh Allen was great as a rookie and will continue to grow into a top pass rusher in this league. CJ Henderson has very good size and speed for the
Overall, there is just too many holes on both sides of the ball in my opinion. I believe the Jaguars will be picking at the top of the draft in 2021, and may look to grab one of the top QB’s.
Predicted Win Range: 2-4
