I don’t need to see who the Jaguars draft this week to make a prediction.
This season’s Jaguars team will be the deepest and most talented across the board that quarterback Trevor Lawrence will ever enjoy here.
Lawrence’s inexpensive rookie contract allows for that. But the time on that contract is almost up.
The Jaguars could extend Lawrence after the coming season. Once he’s making that elite $50-million-per-year number, the team simply won’t be able to put more than six or seven high-paid players around him.
Lawrence might play on Jaguars teams in the future that have a better trio of superstars. However, he will never play on a team that has 23 solid-to-potentially-great players.
This Jaguars team doesn’t have an amazing top five in terms of talent. The top 10 is good. But from players 10-23, there aren’t any NFL rosters in better shape.
That’s what the Jaguars have this season: A Super 23 for 2023. Don’t get too worked up about the ranking. The point is to illustrate how many quality players the Jaguars have heading into the draft.
Here they are. Stats include playoff games.
1.Lawrence
Age: 23.
Why: Third-year veteran accounted for 35 TDs last season after spectacular second half.
Age: 26.
Why: Fantastic first season with the Jaguars featured 99 catches for 1,238 yards and 10 TDs.
Age: 28.
Why: New acquisition posted 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine TDs in his last full season (2020), on a broken foot.
Age: 25.
Why: Allen found his groove late in the season. Enters this year with 28 ½ career sacks.
Age: 27.
Why: Recorded 211 tackles in 19 games for the Jaguars last season, leading the league for the second consecutive season.
Age: 23.
Why: Campbell (three interceptions last season) has the makings of a star as he enters Year 3.
Age: 28.
Why: Engram played so well in his first year with the team (85 catches for 890 yards and five TDs) that he got the franchise tag to insure his return.
Age: 24.
Why: Recovered from a lost rookie season (Lisfranc injury) to gain 1,642 total yards of offense (1,441 rushing) with six TDs.
Age: 31.
Why: Scherff played through injuries last season, his first in Jacksonville after making five Pro Bowls in Washington.
Age: 29.
Why: Jenkins was a big-play monster in his second season with the Jaguars (three picks and three forced fumbles).
Age: 28.
Why: Jones was another fantastic free-agent add, catching 95 passes for 980 yards and six TDs.
Age: 27.
Why: Robinson played well prior to a season-ending injury in the 15th game.
Age: 29.
Why: Robertson-Harris sizzled late in the season to help propel the Jaguars to the AFC South title.
Age: 22.
Why: Has superstar potential entering his second season, after a four-sack rookie campaign.
Age: 28.
Why: Improving as a receiver and one of the league’s best return specialists.
Age: 24.
Why: Cerebral player who logged every offensive snap in the regular season (1,123) as a rookie. Bright future.
Age: 30
Why: Jax native played better in the second half once put back on the perimeter.
Age: 24.
Why: Had three picks, two fumble recoveries and over 100 tackles despite being lost in the scheme for a good chunk of his rookie season. Could take a huge step forward.
Age: 23.
Why: Three picks a season ago, now entering his third season.
Age: 28.
Why: Good player, but needs to find his form he showed with the Jets after a rocky first season with the Jaguars as a big free-agent addition.
Age: 24.
Why: Showed glimpses last season that he might be in for a highly-productive third season this fall.
Age: 26.
Why: Had a career-best 56 tackles last season.
Age: 27.
Why: One of the best in the league.
Conclusion:
This is an excellent 23 with a large amount of upside. The average age of this group is 26.2 years.
Obviously, once the draft class is added that should provide at least a couple more players that will make significant contributions to this team.
This is it.
This is the best all-around Jaguars team they will ever have in the Lawrence Era.
Hopefully, they take advantage of it.
Mia O’Brien’s Mock Draft Mondays are powered each Monday in the month of April by The Yass Method for Pain-Free Movement. Say YES to YASS! As we’ve gone through three weeks of this exercise (and the exhaustive lead-up to the NFL Draft), one common trend has emerged: the Jacksonville Jaguars will be going DB-OT-Edge rusher in some order through their first three picks of this week’s NFL Draft. In […]
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