Under new GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen, there has already been an immense amount of change to this Jacksonville Jaguars team over the offseason–both from roster construction and schematic standpoints.
But when it comes to the Jaguars’ putting themselves back into a position where they can make the postseason, what are the three biggest things that have to be fixed this season, and what have Gladstone and Coen done so far to accomplish that?
Let’s dive in.
More balance around Trevor Lawrence
The ceiling for this Jaguars’ team will be determined by Lawrence’s level of play. So why not take some of that playmaking burden off his shoulders by adding more balance around him?
This has been one of the main focal points of the offseason for the Jaguars as they’ve undergone numerous changes. It started by hiring Liam Coen, who brings a Sean McVay-like offense to Jacksonville–a scheme that has had success around the NFL over the years.
Built on multiplicity, this offense will throw a variety of different looks at opposing defenses to keep those units off balance and guessing. This, in turn, can open up opportunities for Lawrence to exploit.
In addition to the Xs and Os, Gladstone has also revamped the offensive line with six new additions, while also adding a lot more speed to the offense by bringing in Dyami Brown, Travis Hunter, and Bhayshul Tuten.
Improved offensive line play is a must for the Jaguars
While Lawrence’s play will determine how good the Jaguars can be, the offensive line will be key in providing consistency.
When an offense has a strong run game to lean on, it keeps them ahead of the sticks, out of predictable passing situations, and can open up opportunities through the air. In addition to that, we all know how important time in the pocket is for the quarterback to go through his progressions.
Since the very early going of Coen’s tenure, he has made it known that the play up front has to be better. To accomplish this, as mentioned, Gladstone made six additions between free agency and the NFL draft, adding a lot more versatility to this unit and really leaning into the competition element this offseason in order to find the best starting five configuration.
More stout play from the defensive front
Improved play in the secondary could be selected here as well, but I’m going with improved play up front because when the defensive line is disruptive, every other player on the field benefits greatly from it.
Last season, despite Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker both being two of the more productive pass rushers at the defensive end position, as a collective unit, the Jaguars ranked 32nd in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric and were near the bottom of the NFL in pressure rate.
But in order to have the opportunity to get after the quarterback, defensive lines have to eat their vegetables on early downs and stop the run, which the Jaguars struggled with as well, ranking 27th in run stop rate.
This offseason, we’ve seen Gladstone prioritize building the defensive end depth behind Hines-Allen and Walker, while the addition of Anthony Campanile and his defensive scheme should provide the defensive line with a boost as well. Under Campanile, this will be a more attacking front, where there is more movement, and potentially more blitzing and simulated pressures to cause some chaos for opposing offensive line units.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 3 Big things Jacksonville Jaguars must fix to bounce back in 2025
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
