NFL PREVIEW: 2020 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

BY ADAM GREENE

Key Additions: TE Tyler Eifert (free agent), RB Chris Thompson (free agent), DT Al Woods (free agent), CB Rashaan Melvin (free agent), QB Mike Glennon (free agent), DE Rodney Gunter (free agent), OLB Aaron Lynch (free agent), DE Cassius Marsh (free agent), ILB Joe Schobert (free agent)

2020 NFL Draft: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida (round 1), OLB K’Lavin Chaisson, LSU (round 1), WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado (round 2), DT Davon Hamilton, Ohio State (round 3), OT Ben Bartch, St. John’s (round 4), CB Josaiah Scott, Michigan State (round 4), LB Shaq Quarterman, Miami (round 4), S Daniel Thomas, Auburn (round 5), WR Collin Johnson, Texas (round 5), QB Jake Luton, Oregon State (round 6), TE Tyler Davis, Georgia Tech (round 6), CB Chris Claybrooks, Memphis (round 7)

Projected Offensive Starters: QB Gardner Minshew II, RB Leonard Fournett, WR D.J. Chark Jr., WR Dede Westbrook, WR Chris Conley, TE Tyler Eifert, LT Cam Robinson, LG Andrew Norwell, C Brandon Linder, RG A.J. Cann, RT Jawaan Taylor

Projected Defensive Starters: LDE: Josh Allen, LDT Al Woods, RDT Taven Bryan, RDE Yannick Ngakoue, WLB Myles Jack, MLB Joe Schobert, SLB Cassius Marsh, LCB Tre Herndon, RDB C.J. Henderson, SS Ronnie Harrison, FS Jarrod Wilson

K: Josh Lambo

P: Logan Cooke

Head Coach: Doug Marrone

2019 Record: 6-10, 4^th place AFC South

A Look Back: 2019 was supposed to be the season the Jaguars turned it around (again), with former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles at quarterback. But Foles broke his clavicle in their Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and all those dreams quickly died.

Fast forward to the end of the season and Foles is on his way out, with All-Universe cornerback Jalen Ramsey proceeding him out the door in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. Stepping in at quarterback, rookie sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew II, who went 6-6 as a starter with a 60.6 completion percentage, 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Of the Jags 10 losses, only two were by a score or less. Two of their six victories were also by a single score, so this record was earned. The 2019 Jaguars maxed it out.

2020 Projection: Which is the problem. In the AFC South, Jacksonville is severely behind the other three teams (Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts). Years of wasting talent, bad head coaching and poor quarterback play have trapped this franchise at the bottom of the division. If they can keep Yannick Ngakoue on the team, they’ll be better than they were last year, but how much better? Could it ever be enough to catch the other teams in the division?

I don’t see it happening. But the good thing is that the Jags have the draft capital and coaching unit in place (if they don’t mess it up) to change that in the near future. Just not 2020.

Projected 2020 Final Record: 7-9. The payout for over 4.5 wins for Jacksonville is -120 and 5-9 delivers at -120, so anything in double digits would shock the world. I like Morrone and hope the Jags don’t give up on him. This is a better team than last year’s squad, but the AFC South has turned into a monster division and there’s no question this is the weakest team in it.

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