The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly have an exciting 2025 on the horizon. Sure, there are a bunch of question marks, but the answers could be amazing. As usual, the big question marks start with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was injured last year and only played in 10 games. That aside, he still has yet to live up to his No. 1-overall draft status or his huge contract extension.
So, what kind of support will he have around him? ESPN recently released its “Ranking NFL WR, TE, RB groups for 2025: Best and worst teams” list and the Jaguars wound up at No. 18 in the NFL.
“If you didn’t watch many Jaguars games last season, about the only thing you missed out on was the breakout from first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr.,” writes Bill Barnwell. “Despite inconsistent quarterback play and an offense that never seemed to get right around him, he immediately stood out as a problem for opposing defenses. Few receivers of any vintage make things look as easy as he did, as he effortlessly glided away from defenders and snatched wayward passes out of the air. He’s already a legitimate No. 1 wideout.”
The Jaguars have steadily declined on this list the last few years. They were as high as No. 9 in 2023, then slipped to No. 16 last season. However, they didn’t have Travis Hunter until now and he could/should really change things.
“Could Thomas and Travis Hunter become the league’s best one-two punch of rookie-contract receivers?,” Barnwell continues. “It’s impossible to say how the Jaguars will actually deploy Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy while playing wide receiver and cornerback last season. I’d argue that the two-way star might have gotten at least a little boost from his story — he ranked seventh in the Big 12 in yards per route run — but it should go without saying that the No. 2 pick is an otherworldly athlete.
“If the Jags rest Hunter on defense more often than Colorado did a year ago, he might also simply have more in the tank on offense. Few top-five receiver picks come into the NFL with a wider range of potential outcomes in Year 1, but the upside of having two potential superstar receivers on rookie deals is clear for new coach Liam Coen.”
The Jaguars are thin at WR after the top two
There has been much debate about how Hunter will be used on the Jaguars. He took all of his reps in OTAs on offense, but then was worked in with the defense during mandatory minicamp. Regardless, even with newcomer Dyami Brown, there won’t be a ton of production behind Thomas and Hunter.
“After those two? Let’s hope Coen can do as much with the ancillary players in Jacksonville as he did in Tampa Bay,” Barnwell writes. “Receiver Dyami Brown was an afterthought for four years in Washington before a hot postseason run. Tight end Brenton Strange inherits the starting role from Evan Engram after averaging a respectable 1.6 yards per route run a year ago.”
Brown emerged late last year in Washington and could provide an added spark to the passing game. He may have to given the lack of talent at the tight end position.
The Jaguars need to settle on a running back
The Jaguars have three running backs on the roster that could be quite valuable, but all three come with question marks. Travis Etienne is a former first-round pick who was inherited by the current regime. Tank Bigsby is talented, but likes to put the ball on the carpet. The team has high hopes for Bhayshul Tuten, but he’s a rookie and hasn’t proven anything at the NFL level yet.
“Coen was able to land on the right runner (Bucky Irving) in a three-headed backfield for the Bucs last season, and he’ll need to do the same thing in Jacksonville, where 2021 first-rounder Travis Etienne Jr. hasn’t lived up to expectations and Tank Bigsby hasn’t been able to hold onto the football, with six fumbles on 226 touches,” Barnwell concludes. “Could Coen get the most out of Bhayshul Tuten, another rookie fourth-rounder?”
They need to figure something out, because the current running game is stagnant and doesn’t scare anyone. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jags go with the hot hand throughout the season and hope one of them separates themselves.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post ESPN Unimpressed with Jacksonville Jaguars’ Skill Positions appeared first on Heavy Sports.