With 2024 NFL training camps just around the corner, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 NFL teams. Bobby Kownack has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the AFC South.
Catch up on the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason developments and 2024 outlook below.
Training Camp Dates/Information
- Players report: July 19 (rookies); July 23 (veterans)
- Location: Miller Electric Center | Jacksonville, Florida (fan information)
Notable Roster Changes
| 2024 draft class | Selection |
|---|---|
| Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU | Round 1 (No. 23 overall) |
| Maason Smith, DT, LSU | Round 2 (No. 48) |
| Jarrian Jones, CB, Florida State | Round 3 (No. 96) |
| Javon Foster, OT, Missouri | Round 4 (No. 114) |
| Jordan Jefferson, DT, LSU | Round 4 (No. 116) |
| Deantre Prince, CB, Mississippi | Round 5 (No. 153) |
| Keilan Robinson, RB, Texas | Round 5 (No. 167) |
| Cam Little, K, Arkansas | Round 6 (No. 212) |
| Myles Cole, OLB, Texas Tech | Round 7 (No. 236) |
Preseason Schedule
- Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs | 7 p.m. ET (NFL Network) on Saturday, Aug. 10
- Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 17
- Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons | 7 p.m. ET (NFL Network) on Friday, Aug. 23
2024 Schedule Notes
- The Jaguars are tied for the eighth-hardest strength of schedule in 2024 based on their opponents' 2023 win percentage (.512).
- Jacksonville opens the season with four straight games against 2023 playoff teams -- and three of those contests are on the road.
- The Jags will play back-to-back games in London in Weeks 6 (vs. Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) and 7 (vs. Patriots at Wembley Stadium).
-- NFL Research
What You Need To Know
1) Although they didn't complete a blockbuster trade like the Texans (Stefon Diggs) or Titans (L’Jarius Sneed), the Jaguars do top the NFL in free agency money spent signing and re-signing players, per Over the Cap, just above Tennessee (the only other team that's eclipsed $300 million) at publishing. Through this spending, Jacksonville replaced Calvin Ridley with Gabe Davis, found a new center (Mitch Morse), kept edge rusher Josh Allen and added several dependable veterans from playoff teams to round out the defense. How will all the new pieces jell, and can paying a pretty penny for roster building help the Jags keep up in the division?
2) Trevor Lawrence got his big extension in June. Now it's time to pay the team back by proving 2023 was a blip rather than the new normal. After going on a tear to conclude his 2022 sophomore campaign, throwing for 2,273 yards, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions in Weeks 9 through 18 in order to sneak into the playoffs, Lawrence was less stellar throughout last season. That was seen in his 14 picks during a failed attempt at repeating as division champs. There were ailments aplenty that affected him, including a sprained knee and sprained ankle before an eventual Week 16 shoulder injury forced him to miss his first game as a professional. He still wasn't lighting the world on fire when healthy, though. The goal is to avoid injuries through camp, then resoundingly transition from good to great in Year 4.
3) Doug Pederson stressed lightening the load on Travis Etienne before last season and promptly gave his star running back 325 touches, third-most in the NFL. This offseason, the coach has again underscored the importance of getting Etienne more rest, but who will step up so Pederson can actually afford such a luxury when the games begin? Jacksonville opted not to add a new running back in free agency and waited until the fifth round of the draft to select Keilan Robinson. D’Ernest Johnson is established by now as solid depth rather than a true difference maker. Tank Bigsby's 2.6 yards per attempt and -0.7 rushing yards over expected per carry in 2023 ranked dead last and tied for sixth-worst, respectively, among RBs with at least 50 carries. If not one, perhaps all three together can prove enough to take some pressure off.
4) It wasn't just Bigsby who found running room hard to come by in 2023. Etienne, too, met opposition frequently before having a chance to make a play. Jacksonville appears confident that stability and chemistry at offensive line can rectify those woes. Although the Jags did sign Morse to take over at center, the other four starting spots initially feel destined for returning players: left tackle Cam Robinson, left guard Ezra Cleveland, right guard Brandon Scherff and right tackle Anton Harrison. Can Robinson and Scherff get a boost from playing in contract years while Cleveland lives up to the extension he signed in March? Will Harrison rebound from a rocky rookie season? Most importantly, can familiarity breed improvement?
5) Ryan Nielsen will now be serving a new team as defensive coordinator for a third straight year, but that's not from lack of results. His 2022 Saints finished in the top 10 in scoring and top five in yards, and in 2023, he elevated a previously bottom-tier Falcons D to its best rankings in both of those categories in six years. Now it's time to turn around a middling Jags unit. Josh Allen will be key to the pass rush, as will the ascending Travon Walker. Nielsen's creativity in the past suggests he'll concoct fresh ways to maximize those two edge rushers, as well as former 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead, and cause havoc up front. That same ingenuity also lends itself to peppering versatile defensive backs like Darnell Savage across multiple looks, allowing for misdirection in conjunction with what should be an aggressive coverage scheme.
