NFL offseason preview: 5 questions Jacksonville Jaguars must answer
4. Can Jacksonville Jaguars add the right pass catchers
The Jaguars’ leader in yards, targets, and receptions was Marvin Jones. Still, Jones was 31 this year and despite five more targets, had fewer yards, catches, and touchdowns than the season prior. He will be 32, which is typically the downside of a wide receiver’s career.
Jones can be a complementary wideout, but they need one or two more wideouts to push him down the totem pole. Laviska Shenault was a second-round pick, but after two seasons it does not look like he is going to be a top wideout.
Size-wise, he is different than Jamison Crowder, but both are slot wide-outs, who run short routes, and do not attack down the field. You can see through two seasons, Crowder is the most similar player to Shenault.
| Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | From | To | AV | G | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/R |
| 1 | Jamison Crowder | 2015 | 2016 | 13 | 32 | 126 | 1451 | 9 | 11.5 |
| 2 | Laviska Shenault Jr. | 2020 | 2021 | 9 | 30 | 121 | 1219 | 5 | 10.1 |
So, they have a short passing slot wideout, but they need deep speed. D.J. Chark has brought that to the table, but injuries have added a detour to his career. Through four seasons he compares favorably to Will Fuller, which makes plenty of sense considering both take the top off, both have big plays, but big misses, and both have a long list of injuries. Chark having one more start than Fuller through four seasons speaks to that.
| Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | From | To | AV | G | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/R | Lng |
| 1 | DJ Chark | 2018 | 2021 | 14 | 43 | 147 | 2042 | 15 | 13.9 | 73 |
| 2 | Will Fuller | 2016 | 2019 | 19 | 42 | 156 | 2231 | 16 | 14.3 | 73 |
Chark is a free agent who Is expected to move teams but also will likely be getting a one-year prove-it deal.
Either way, this puts the Jaguars in a spot where they need two outside threats. Mostly, they need speed to stretch the field and open up the short passing for Shenault. Lastly, they need a tight end, as they arguably do not have an NFL-caliber player on their roster as of right now.