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After yet another dreadful season, the Jacksonville Jaguars made a few big moves this offseason in an attempt to finally get out of the basement of the AFC. The franchise was gifted the No. 1 overall pick, thanks to the Jets deciding to win two out of their last three games to close out the 2020 season.
Armed with that pick and knowing Trevor Lawrence was theirs for the taking, the team made a big move to lure Urban Meyer back to the sidelines. The former Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State head coach will now try his hand in the NFL after leaving the Buckeyes back in 2018.
He inherits a total rebuild in Jacksonville, just three seasons removed from the team appearing in the AFC title game back in 2017. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the Jaguars have added and lost entering the 2021 season.
Key Additions
HC Urban Meyer
QB Trevor Lawrence
RB Travis Etienne
CB Tyson Campbell
OT Walker Little
S Andre Cisco
WR Marvin Jones
RB Carlos Hyde
CB Shaquill Griffin
S Rayshawn Jenkins
KR Jamal Agnew
Key Subtractions
HC Doug Marrone
WR Keelan Cole
WR Chris Conley
CB Rashaan Melvin
DT Abry Jones
The Jaguars now have some ingredients to compete going forward. Obviously, that begins with No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, who is seen by most as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. The former Clemson Tiger slides into a really interesting situation with Meyer, who has long been regarded as one of the best offensive minds to ever roam a college football sideline.
Adding to Lawrence’s intrigue will be his college teammate Travis Etienne, who will bring some juice to a backfield that already features James Robinson. Etienne is a guy who can win in a variety of ways, and should make Lawrence’s transition to the league a little bit easier.
Joining those new pieces will be veteran receiver Marvin Jones, who will play alongside of D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault. Of course, we have to mention Tim Tebow, who joins his old head coach in hopes of making the team as a tight end.
Defensively, Jacksonville continued their overhaul of the defense by adding Shaquill Griffin, Sidney Jones and Tyson Campbell to the cornerback group. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins is another key addition, starting 31 games for the Chargers over the last two seasons.
The Jaguars still need some help up front on the defensive line, as they try to get something out of former first round pick Taven Bryan. Malcolm Brown comes over from New Orleans to add some beef, joining Roy Robertson-Harris, Jihad Ward, Adam Gotsis and Jay Tufele.
Edge rusher Josh Allen returns to action after appearing in just eight games last season, looking to build off of his 10.5 sack rookie season.
Our Take on the Jaguars
Meyer’s fit in the NFL will be fascinating, considering how his stops at Ohio State and Florida ended. Shifting to the pros will take some work off of his plate, without recruiting to constantly worry about. Still, his roster isn’t exactly ready to compete. Trevor Lawrence should help matters, but how big of an immediate difference he can make remains to be seen.
Jacksonville still should have plenty of defensive issues, coming off of last season where they ranked 31st in total defense. A decent step forward under a new coaching staff should be the goal here with a few new pieces in the secondary.
2021 feels like a bit of a transitional year for the Jaguars, but a couple of building blocks are finally in place, at least. Let’s see how far Lawrence can carry them as a rookie.
2021 Vegas Win Total: 6.5
Odds to win the AFC South: +700