2021 NFL Offseason: Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Year: 1-15)

2021 NFL Season Preview:

Veteran Additions:
QB C.J. Beathard, RB Carlos Hyde, WR Marvin Jones, WR Phillip Dorsett, TE Chris Manhertz, TE Tim Tebow, DT Roy Robertson-Harris, DT Malcom Brown, DT Jihad Ward, CB Shaq Griffin, S Rayshawn Jenkins, S Rudy Ford, KR Jamal Agnew.
Early Draft Picks:
QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne, CB Tyson Campbell, OT Walker Little, S Andre Cisco, DT Jay Tufele, DE Jordan Smith, TE Luke Farrell. Jaguars Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
WR Dede Westbrook, WR Keelan Cole, TE Tyler Eifert, TE Josh Oliver, DT Abry Jones, CB D.J. Hayden.

2021 Jacksonville Jaguars Offense:
The Jaguars appeared to be out of the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes late in the year because of their inexplicable Week 1 victory over the Colts. Everything changed, however, when the Jets made the grave mistake of defeating the Rams. This opened a path for the Jaguars to claim Lawrence. Even the Jacksonville mayor realized this, taunting the Jets for their gargantuan blunder.

Jacksonville made it official at the end of April. Lawrence is now the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback, meaning the team will be in Super Bowl contention for years to come. Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect scouted in the 21-year history of this Web site, dating back to the 2000 NFL Draft. He has extremely high marks in all categories and no weaknesses.

Lawrence will have a chance to succeed immediately because of a talented receiving corps. D.J. Chark produced well with Gardner Minshew, so he’ll undoubtedly thrive with Lawrence. Big things are also expected from second-year Laviska Shenault, who flashed in his rookie campaign. Veteran Marvin Jones will bring some needed experience to the receiver room. He’ll be a dependable target, all while he tutors his young teammates.

Lawrence will also rely on some potent threats out of the backfield. James Robinson came out of nowhere last year to rush for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games despite trailing for most of those affairs. Robinson’s excellent 2020 campaign made the first-round pick on Travis Etienne a strange one, but Etienne has been lining up at receiver in practice. Etienne will be a lethal receiving threat, and Lawrence’s comfort with his collegiate teammate will obviously be a benefit.

That just leaves the offensive line, which has some question marks. Tackle is the problematic area. Cam Robinson would be better off moving somewhere other than the blind side, while Jawaan Taylor has been a disappointment as a former second-round pick. Perhaps second-round rookie Walker Little can at least displace Taylor.

The rest of Jacksonville’s blocking is excellent. Brandon Linder is one of the top centers in the NFL, while Andrew Norwell and A.J. Cann combine to be a quality guard duo. Having sound interior blocking is an obvious boost for Lawrence’s rookie campaign.

2021 Jacksonville Jaguars Defense:
It’s a good thing for Lawrence that he’s surrounded with so much talent right away because he’ll need to score tons of points to win games this year, thanks to how porous the defense is. The days of Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Jalen Ramsey and Telvin Smith are long gone.

The Jaguars focused mostly on their secondary this offseason. They won’t have the likes of Ramsey and A.J. Bouye locking down opposing receivers, but they’ll certainly be better against the pass than they were last year. They signed Shaq Griffin, a solid cornerback, away from the Seahawks and then used their second-round pick on Tyson Campbell. They added the duo to last year’s first-rounder, C.J. Henderson, who thrived when healthy as a rookie. The three should be a solid group.

The safety situation mirrors what transpired at cornerback. The Jaguars signed a quality veteran, Rayshawn Jenkins, who had a strong season for the Chargers. Jacksonville then doubled up with a second-day selection, Andre Cisco, to challenge for the other job. Cisco is a very instinctive safety, so he could get some starts sooner rather than later.

With the secondary improved, the Jaguars will need to place pressure on opposing quarterbacks to really improve their ability to stop the pass. Their ability to do so will depend on how their young edge rushers fare. Josh Allen, a first-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, had a strong rookie campaign in which he logged 10.5 sacks, but he missed half of 2020 with a knee injury. Meanwhile, last year’s opening-round choice, K’Lavon Chaisson, failed to do anything. Chaisson has great potential, so perhaps he’ll improve in his second season.

The Jaguars also have some young players in their defensive interior, as projected starters Davon Hamilton and Taven Bryan are 24 and 25, respectively. Neither has done much in the NFL, but the upside exists. Fourth-round rookie Jay Tufele could be in the mix for snaps as well. The “old men” in the group are a pair of 27-year-olds, Malcom Brown and Roy Robertson-Harris. Brown will help in the run-stuffing department, while Robertson-Harris will be a solid rotational piece.

The linebacking corps is halfway decent. Jacksonville would love it if Telvin Smith opted to come out of retirement, but will have to roll with Myles Jack and Joe Schobert instead. Jack has experienced a roller-coaster NFL career thus far, but is coming off a solid 2020 campaign. Schobert, meanwhile, is a rather mediocre player. Jacksonville possesses very little depth behind these two players.

2021 Jacksonville Jaguars Schedule and Intangibles:
Jacksonville’s hot and humid climate contributed to its outstanding 83-53 home record from 1995 to 2011. They were just 9-29 as hosts in the four seasons prior to 2017, perhaps because of the curse of the swimming pool. That curse snapped temporarily, as Jacksonville was 6-2 at home in 2017, but the team was 3-4 as a host in each of the following two years. The 2020 results are disregarded because the team was so terrible.

In four years with the Jaguars, Josh Lambo is 76-of-80 on field goal attempts, drilling 12-of-13 from 50-plus. Lambo played in just four games in 2020 because of injuries, however.

Logan Cooke has been ranked first and sixth in net average over the past two seasons. It’s quite the relief that this franchise once selected a punter over Russell Wilson but has finally figured out the position.

Jacksonville scored a touchdown on special teams, while surrendering none to the opponent.

The Jaguars have a mixed schedule. They have to deal with the NFC West, but otherwise get to navigate through a fourth-place schedule and some easy divisional matchups.

2021 Jacksonville Jaguars Rookies:
Go here for the Jaguars Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.

2021 Jacksonville Jaguars Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):

Quarterbacks	Offensive Line	Secondary
Running Backs	Defensive Line	Special Teams
Receivers	Linebackers	Coaching

2021 Jacksonville Jaguars Analysis: The Jaguars did a great job of tanking following their sole victory in 2020. They landed Trevor Lawrence and are now in position to compete for the Super Bowl on an annual basis. That is very unlikely to happen this year, due to Lawrence’s inexperience and the defense’s issues, but this season could be used as a springboard for the Jaguars to become a major force in the NFL in 2022 and beyond.

Projection: 5-12 (3rd in AFC South)

2020 Projection: 1-15. 2020 Actual Result: 1-15.
2019 Projection: 10-6. 2019 Actual Result: 6-10.
2018 Projection: 6-10. 2018 Actual Result: 5-11.
2017 Projection: 4-12. 2017 Actual Result: 10-6.
2016 Projection: 7-9. 2016 Actual Result: 3-13.

NFL Draft Team Grade: B Grade

Goals Entering the 2021 NFL Draft: We know the Jaguars will select Trevor Lawrence with the first pick. They already have some great offensive talent, so they don’t need to add too many supporting members (one more offensive lineman, tight end.) Instead, they should focus on their dreadful defense with their other selections so that Lawrence can get as many possessions as possible.

2021 NFL Draft Accomplishments: The Jaguars received tons of flak for their draft picks following the Trevor Lawrence selection, but I wouldn’t agree with that. I wasn’t a fan of some of their third-day choices, but I liked what they did otherwise, save for the Travis Etienne pick.

I hated the Etienne selection. Using first-round picks on running backs always ends up in failure – click the link for that study – and it’s not like running back was a need. Apparently, Urban Meyer forgot to watch tape of James Robinson last year.

Still, the Jaguars made some nice upgrades on defense, obtaining Tyson Campbell, Andre Cisco and Jay Tufele. Walker Little wasn’t a great pick, but if he can get over his injuries, he might end up being a nice blocker for Lawrence, who seems to be surrounded by a quality supporting cast.

NFL Draft Individual Grades:

1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson – A+ Grade
I’ve been running this Web site for more than 21 years, and Trevor Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect I’ve ever covered. Unless he suffers a barrage of injuries throughout his career, I can’t see him busting, or even being slightly better than mediocre. There’s a very good chance Lawrence will be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL over the next 15 years or so. The Jaguars deserve an A+ not only for the pick; but for making it happen. The Jets won some meaningless games late in 2020 and lost out on Lawrence. The Jaguars, conversely, seemed to tank late in the year (versus the Bears in particular) because they knew that doing so would allow them to be a Super Bowl contender for a long time.

25. Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson – F Grade
Ugh. Apparently, the Jaguars didn’t read my analysis of the D- grade I gave to the Steelers. There’s no reason to select a running back in the first round. It just has an extensive losing track record. Travis Etienne projects to be a good player, but this pick simply wasn’t necessary, especially when considering that running back was not a need at all. That’s the difference between the Steeler and Jaguar grades.

33. Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia – A- Grade
The Jaguars had a miserable defense that they needed to address, so this is the beginning of that. There was a huge hole at cornerback across from C.J. Henderson, which Tyson Campbell will fill. Campbell is a lengthy cornerback I had in the first round of some of my updates. I eventually moved him into the middle of Round 2, but this is the right area for him.

45. Walker Little, OT, Stanford – B- Grade
Walker Little is a risk. He’s had a long layoff from football because of an injury in 2019. I thought he would fall in the 2021 NFL Draft as a result. However, he projects to be a quality pass protector, so I won’t complain too much about this pick because the Jaguars had a weakness at tackle and they had to protect Trevor Lawrence.

65. Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse – A- Grade
The Jaguars have been heavily criticized for their bad draft thus far by many, but this is a strong selection. Andre Cisco is a very instinctive safety who can start right away for a secondary that sorely needed help in the secondary entering the offseason.

106. Jay Tufele, DT, USC – A- Grade
Jay Tufele was expected to go early in the third round, so the Jaguars are getting some nice value with this pick. They have yet to replace Calais Campbell, so it would make sense that they would target a defensive tackle with this selection. Tufele obviously won’t be Campbell, but he has some nice upside.

121. Jordan Smith, DE, UAB – F Grade
The Jaguars traded up for a player they could have obtained with their natural pick. Seems par for the course when accounting for Urban Meyer’s inexperience with the NFL Draft. I’m all for Jacksonville obtaining another edge rusher, but teams weren’t dying to draft Jordan Smith. I didn’t even have him drafted, though I considered him in the seventh round.

145. Luke Farrell, TE, Ohio State – D Grade
Luke Farrell is not someone I had on my radar as a draftable prospect. The Jaguars needed to address their hole at tight end – and not because Gerald Everett left – but there were many better players at the position.

209. Jalen Camp, WR, Georgia Tech – B Grade
I didn’t have Jalen Camp in my mock draft, but I considered him because he’s a big receiver with major athleticism. The Jaguars didn’t need a receiver, but there’s upside with Camp, so this is a fine selection.

Follow @walterfootball for updates.

Season Summary:
The Jaguars won their first game of the season and then went on to lose every other game. This was for the best, however, as it’ll allow them to land Trevor Lawrence. If they can rebuild their defense, they’ll be in the playoffs by 2022.

Offseason Moves:

Jaguars sign LB Damien Wilson

Jaguars sign QB C.J. Beathard

Ravens acquire TE Josh Oliver from Jaguars

Jaguars acquire DT Malcom Brown from Saints

Jaguars sign WR Marvin Jones

Jaguars sign CB Shaq Griffin

Jaguars sign DT Jihad Ward

Jaguars sign TE Chris Manhertz

Jaguars sign RB Carlos Hyde

Jaguars sign S Rayshawn Jenkins

Jaguars sign WR Phillip Dorsett

Jaguars sign S Rudy Ford

Jaguars sign KR Jamal Agnew

Jaguars sign DE/DT Roy Robertson-Harris

Team Needs:

Quarterback: This is obviously a huge need, but Trevor Lawrence will fix that problem.
Left Tackle: The Jaguars must protect Lawrence. Cam Robinson is an impending free agent, but he needed to be upgraded anyway. Franchised Cam Robinson
Defensive Tackle: Jacksonville has really missed Calais Campbell. It’ll be impossible to replace him, but help at the position is needed. Signed Roy Robertson-Harris, Tyson Alualu and Jihad Ward
Safety: The Jaguars need to continue to bolster the middle of their defense. They have a huge hole at safety. Filling that would go a long way in improving their anemic pass defense. Signed Rayshawn Jenkins
Cornerback: With Sidney Jones hitting free agency, the Jaguars will need to find help across from C.J. Henderson. Signed Shaq Griffin
Tight End: Lawrence will have some nice receivers to throw to, but there’s a huge hole at tight end. Signed Chris Manhertz
Edge Rush Depth: The Jaguars don’t have much beyond Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson, and it’s not like the latter played well last year anyway.
Running Back Depth: James Robinson was a pleasant surprise last year. The Jaguars need some good depth behind him. Signed Carlos Hyde

Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

2021 NFL Free Agent Signings:

Jamal Agnew, KR, Lions. Age: 26.
Signed with Jaguars (3 years, $21 million)

Jamal Agnew is one of the top kick returners in the NFL, scoring five special teams touchdowns in as many years.
Shaq Griffin, CB, Seahawks. Age: 26.
Signed with Jaguars (3 years, $44.5 million)

Shaq Griffin missed a handful of games in 2020, and he never really looked the same upon his return from injury. He’s still just 26, so he could improve in the near future.
Marvin Jones, WR, Lions. Age: 31.
Signed with Jaguars (2 years, $14.5 million)

Marvin Jones is coming off a nice season in which he caught 76 passes for 978 yards and nine touchdowns, doing most of his damage when Kenny Golladay was sidelined. Jones, however, turns 31 this offseason.
Rayshawn Jenkins, S, Chargers. Age: 27.
Signed with Jaguars (4 years)

Rayshawn Jenkins has made some nice improvements to his game. He missed some tackles in 2020, but he covered very well.
Roy Robertson-Harris, DE/DT, Bears. Age: 28.
Signed with Jaguars (3 years, $24.4 million)

Roy Robertson-Harris was missed last year when he landed on injured reserve. He’s a quality defensive lineman with no weaknesses.
Damien Wilson, LB, Chiefs. Age: 28. — Signed with Jaguars
Carlos Hyde, RB, Seahawks. Age: 30. Signed with Jaguars (2 years, $6 million)
Jihad Ward, DT, Ravens. Age: 27. — Signed with Jaguars
Phillip Dorsett, WR, Seahawks. Age: 28. — Signed with Jaguars
Chris Manhertz, TE, Panthers. Age: 29. — Signed with Jaguars (2 years, $7.25 million)
C.J. Beathard, QB, 49ers. Age: 27. — Signed with Jaguars
Rudy Ford, S, Eagles. Age: 25. — Signed with Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars Free Agents:

Salary Cap: TBA.

Abry Jones, DT, Jaguars. Age: 29.
Abry Jones was sorely missed this past season when he landed on injured reserve after Week 5 with leg injuries. He’s nearing 30, but he can still play on a high level.
Sidney Jones, CB, Jaguars. Age: 25.
Re-signed with Jaguars

Sidney Jones is a former first-round prospect who struggled in Philadelphia, but then performed better in Jacksonville. He’s still young (25), so he could turn his career around.
Dede Westbrook, WR, Jaguars. Age: 27.
Signed with Vikings

Dede Westbrook played just two games in 2020 because of a torn ACL. He has some nice ability, and he’s still relatively young (27), so he could be a nice option in the slot for his next team.
Cam Robinson, OT, Jaguars. Age: 25.
Franchised by Jaguars

Cam Robinson has mostly been a bust as a former second-round pick, but he played a bit better in 2020. Still, the Jaguars would be better off upgrading him.
Tyler Shatley, C/G, Jaguars. Age: 30.
Re-signed with Jaguars

Tyler Shatley performed well as a backup interior lineman for the Jaguars. He could be a passable starter somewhere.
D.J. Hayden, CB, Jaguars. Age: 31.
Keelan Cole, WR, Jaguars. Age: 28. — Signed with Jets
Adam Gotsis, DT, Jaguars. Age: 28. — Re-signed with Jaguars
Tyler Eifert, TE, Jaguars. Age: 30.
Dawuane Smoot, DE, Jaguars. Age: 26. — Re-signed with Jaguars (2 years, $14 million)
Josh Jones, S, Jaguars. Age: 26. — Re-signed with Jaguars (1 year)
Chris Thompson, RB, Jaguars. Age: 30.
Aaron Lynch, DE, Jaguars. Age: 28.
Kamalei Correa, DE/OLB, Jaguars. Age: 27.
Dustin Colquitt, P, Jaguars. Age: 39.
Chris Conley, WR, Jaguars. Age: 28. — Signed with Texans (1 year)
Rashaan Melvin, CB, Jaguars. Age: 31. — Signed with Panthers
James O’Shaughnessy, TE, Jaguars. Age: 29. — Re-signed with Jaguars
Mike Glennon, QB, Jaguars. Age: 31. — Signed with Giants
Greg Mabin, CB, Jaguars. Age: 27.