2020 NFL Team Previews: Jacksonville Jaguars

2020 NFL Team Previews: Jacksonville Jaguars

This article is part of our Team Previews series.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have been trading away expensive veterans and stockpiling younger talent after finishing in the AFC South cellar once again. Tom Coughlin's departure pushes the front office in a new direction, though GM Dave Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone will have another chance to turn things around.

Offseason Moves

Key Acquisitions

The 6-1, 227-pound wideout filled a versatile role in college.

Though the tight end carries the oft-injured label, he didn't miss a game in 2019.

Posted 380 tackles as a three-year starter in Cleveland.

The second cornerback taken in the draft will likely be an immediate starter.

Missed 20 games over the last five years but averaged 41 receptions per season.

Key Losses

Started only four games in the first season of his four-year, $88 million deal.

A defensive leader whose absence will be felt on and off the field.

The expensive veteran was a potential cap casualty prior to being traded.

A Look Under the Hood

Head Coach: Doug Marrone (Year 5)

Offensive Coordinator: Jay Gruden (Year 1) - West Coast Offense

Defensive Coordinator: Todd Wash (Year 5) - 4-3 scheme

2020 Vegas Projected Wins: 4.5 (32nd)

   

2019 Record: 6-10

2019 Points Scored: 300 (26th)

2019 Points Allowed: 397 (21st)

2019 Point Differential: -97 (26th)

2019 Run-Play Rate: 38.1 percent (24th)

2019 Situation-Neutral Pace: 32.72 seconds per play (30th)

2019 Offensive Snaps: 1,020 (14th)

2019 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 26

Full 2019 Team Stats

   

Projected 2020 Depth Chart

QB: Gardner Minshew / Mike Glennon / Jake Luton

RB: Leonard Fournette / Chris Thompson / Ryquell Armstead / Devine Ozigbo

WR1: DJ Chark / Collin Johnson

WR2: Dede Westbrook / Keelan Cole

WR3: Chris Conley / Laviska Shenault

TE: Tyler Eifert / Josh Oliver / James O'Shaughnessy

O-Line: LT Cam Robinson / LG Andrew Norwell / C Brandon Linder / RG A.J. Cann / RT Jawaan Taylor                             (RotoWire Rank: No. 28)

Kicker: Josh Lambo

Full 2020 Depth Chart

Top Storylines

Handing the Keys to Minshew

Gardner Minshew quietly joined the Jaguars as a sixth-round pick in 2019 and began the season as the No. 2 quarterback, but he performed well after Nick Foles fractured his clavicle in the team's season opener.

The rookie started the next eight contests before Foles returned, though Minshew quickly reclaimed the starting job. In the process, he finished the season completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,271 yards with 21 TDs and six interceptions, while also rushing for 344 yards and losing seven of 13 fumbles in 14 games.

Along the way, he cultivated somewhat of a cult following dubbed "Minshew Mania" thanks to his signature mustache and unexpected performance. He's poised to work as the starter in 2020 in the wake of Foles being dealt to Chicago in March.

Leonard Fournette and DJ Chark remain the Jaguars' top playmakers, and wideout Laviska Shenault also was added in the second round of the draft in April. Chris Conley and Dede Westbrook round out the receiving corps. While the team isn't exactly loaded at the skill positions, the transition to Jay Gruden at offensive coordinator should offer a boost to the offense.

Minshew doesn't have the draft pedigree of most second-year starting quarterbacks, but he'll have the chance this season to illustrate that he's fully earned the opportunity to lead Jacksonville's attack.

A Spark from Chark

The Jaguars didn't make any notable additions at wide receiver in advance of the 2019 season, but Chark's ascension during his second year was similar to gaining an entirely different receiver.

A second-round pick in 2018, Chark's rookie campaign was only notable for his lack of production, as he caught 14 passes for 174 yards in 11 games. The 6-4, 198-pound receiver started his sophomore season with a flourish, however, nearly surpassing his previous yardage total in the season opener with 146 receiving yards.

There were some ups and downs as the offense fluttered throughout the season, but Chark totaled 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight TDs in 15 games. Jacksonville selected multifaceted wideout Laviska Shenault in the second round and 6-6 Collin Johnson in the fifth round of this year's draft, but it didn't make any significant splashes in free agency.

Tyler Eifert could provide some much-needed stability at tight end provided he can avoid the injury bug, while Chris Thompson may be a more reliable pass catcher out of the backfield than Leonard Fournette, though the latter did lead the team with 76 receptions in 2019. Chris Conley and Dede Westbrook should enter camp battling for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, but Chark has clearly separated himself as the Jaguars' top wide receiver.

DJ Chark is seeking to establish himself as the No. 1 option in Jacksonville's passing attack.

Defensive Turnover

Jacksonville's defense last year was never able to replicate the playmaking prowess that earned it the "Sacksonville" moniker in 2017, but it mostly remained the strength of the team over the past two seasons.

The composition of the unit has changed, however, with Myles Jack potentially the lone returning starter of that productive group. Calais Cambell, A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey have been sent packing within the last year, while Yannick Ngakoue has been at odds with the front office, especially since receiving the franchise tag in March.

Thus begins a new era for the Jaguars defensively, likely led by Josh Allen, the seventh overall pick in 2019. Allen started only four games as a rookie, but he flashed his talent whenever on the field with 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, priming him for a starring role.

The additions of corner CJ Henderson and edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft provide additional top-end talent to combat the veteran departures. The signing of Joe Schobert in free agency should shore up a linebacking corps that often failed to make an impact last season.

Jacksonville's notable losses on the defensive side of the ball figure to result in a worse unit in 2020, but the process of revitalizing the group with young talent provides a brighter future on the horizon.

Barometer

⬆️ Rising: QB Gardner Minshew

The Jaguars appeared set to approach this season with a quarterback battle headlining camp, but Nick Foles was shipped to Chicago in March. Minshew has no notable competition for the starting job after a solid rookie campaign.

⬇️ Falling: RB Leonard Fournette

The addition of Chris Thompson in free agency figures to impact Fournette's production in the passing game. Now entering the final year of his rookie deal, his free-agent outlook hinges largely on his 2020 production.

😴 Sleeper: TE Tyler Eifert

Eifert played 16 games for the first time in his career in 2019, as the Bengals monitored his snaps. The Jaguars' search for answers at tight end continued this offseason, and Eifert could be the solution if he stays healthy.

🌟 Pivotal Player: Leonard Fournette

Fournette posted the best production of his career with 1,674 yards from scrimmage and 4.3 yards per carry in 2019, but he was put on the trade block in the spring, and the team declined his fifth-year option for 2021. The running back still figures to be a focal point of the offense in 2020, though it's likely his final season in Jacksonville.

Leonard Fournette is in a contract year. When one goes right, it can be highly profitable.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Evan Hauge
Evan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016 and has been producing NFL, MLB, NBA and additional content for Rotowire since 2017. He currently serves as the Deputy MLB Editor and also works as the beat writer for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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