Jacksonville Jaguars Depth Chart 2018 Jaguars Depth Chart

Preseason Analysis: Jaguars Will Prove 2017 Was No Fluke

After making it to the AFC Championship, Jacksonville has a few departures heading into the new season. Chris Ivory, Allen Robinson, and Marcedes Lewis are out, as is Allen Hurns. The Jags have had some pretty strong depth, and the play of Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole seemed to have led to the easy leaving of Robinson and Hurns. Jacksonville drafted D.J. Chark in the draft, who is more of a deep threat with his speed. Donte Moncrief stayed in the same division, and has yet to live up to his potential given his athletic ability. Injuries and poor QB scenarios have stumped him, and that might not change. T.J. Yeldon continues to be a guy who sticks around in Jacksonville, and will be a change of pace back behind Fournette as well as an interesting handcuff. A lot of the offseason moves have been on the defensive side or the offensive line. A lot of the guys leaving were not much of a surprise and even though they are gone, things are still familiar here. The Jags are looking to rely on their running game yet again, alongside their strong defense. A few moves for depth might need to be made moving forward.

It is safe to say that no NFL team was more surprising in 2017 than the Jacksonville Jaguars. Nobody expected much from the team after they won three games in 2016, but they ended up only one win away from the Super Bowl. It could even be argued that Jacksonville deserved to play for the title after dominating the New England Patriots for most of the AFC Championship game. The Jaguars will have to hope that they can repeat the success without being able to surprise their opponents in 2018. The Jacksonville offense under head coach Doug Marrone has been built around the rushing game, and that will not change in 2018. Leonard Fournette will be asked to carry the offense. Fournette was one of the most dominating players in the league last year, but he consistently struggled with nagging injuries. The star running back can bust off a big run at any time. He also consistently finds open running lanes despite getting average blocking from the offensive line. If Fournette's recent weight loss can help him stay healthy, then he may be the most dangerous player in the NFL.

The Jaguars are forced to rely on the rushing attack because they do not know what they will get from the passing game on a weekly basis. Blake Bortles struggles with efficiency when he is asked to win the game with his arm. The off-season signings of Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Niles Paul should help Bortles become a more efficient passer. The two big tight ends will be great checkdown options in the passing game. Throwing to the sidelines has never been the strength of Bortles, and it will only be harder in 2018 without Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns on the team. They may not have a lot of talent on offense, but the Jaguars are always a threat to win because of their excellent defense. Only the Minnesota Vikings gave up less points than the Jacksonville Jaguars last year. Since they were so dominant last year, Jacksonville did not make many changes to the defense in the off-season. It will once again be virtually impossible to move ball through the air against the Jaguars in 2018. Calaias Campbell and Dante Fowler Jr. will put pressure on the opposing quarterback while Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye prevent the receivers from getting open. There is absolutely no reason to think the Jaguars will not continue to dominate on defense. They even have the chance to get better if rookie Taven Bryan can consistently stuff the run at defensive tackle. The Jacksonville Jaguars need Blake Bortles to continue to grow as a passer if they want a shot at the Super Bowl. Bortles needs to keep the defense fresh by limiting turnovers and making key plays on third downs. Jacksonville's only competition in the AFC South division is the Houston Texans, so clinching a playoff spot should not be hard. Another deep playoff run seems unlikely, but anything is possible with this amazing defense.