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Fortunes drastically changed for the Jacksonville Jaguars when the New York Jets upset the Los Angeles Rams 23-20 last year. Ultimately, it solidified the Jaguars as the franchise with the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
With the pick, the Jaguars selected highly-touted quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of the University of Clemson. As the draft came to a conclusion, Jacksonville finally had its QB of the future and could commence the long, winding road to relevance.
Here's what the Jacksonville Jaguars can do over the next two seasons to make things uncomfortable for their rivals.
#1 - Establish a two-man run game
Jacksonville used its second pick in the first round to select Trevor Lawrence's teammate from Clemson, Travis Etienne. Throughout his college career, Etienne established himself as one of the best backs in the nation. He was considered one of, if not the best, tailbacks in the draft
Last season, the Jags had a surprise, undrafted rookie who significantly exceeded expectations. James Robinson ran for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020.
With the addition of explosive back Etienne, Jacksonville can form a deadly two-man run game similar to how the Cleveland Browns utilize Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
That's a proven formula, and it'll take a load off of Lawrence in his rookie season. A great run game would be extremely helpful for a first-year quarterback.
Robinson and Etienne are far too talented to be seeing minimal game time. A two-man running back system would be extremely beneficial for the Jaguars and equate to success on the offensive side of the ball.
#2 - Keep Trevor Lawrence healthy
As we saw last season, the Cincinnati Bengals suffered a setback in the midst of their season due to rookie quarterback Joe Burrow tearing his ACL. Although the Bengals weren't looking to compete right away, it was still detrimental to their overall cohesion and the progress of Joe Burrow, who was on track to win Rookie of the Year.
Lawrence was the consensus number one pick in the 2021 draft for quite some time; he's often been compared to former Colts QB Andrew Luck. In his last college season, Trevor Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards and 24 touchdowns.
He's an exceptional talent and if the Jacksonville Jaguars want to build a dynasty, their main priority needs to be keeping their franchise QB healthy.
#3 - Add more talented pass-catchers
Don't get me wrong. D.J. Chark and Laviska Shelnaut are solid wide receivers, but cornerbacks are not losing sleep thinking about lining up against the receivers. If the front offense wants to maximize Lawrence's talent, they'll have to add more talent to the receiver position.
A dominant run game can only get you so far. In today's NFL, you have to be able to pass the ball at an extremely high and efficient rate. Chark (706 yards) and Shelnaut (600 yards) are talented weapons to have, however, they serve, at best, as second or third options.
Jacksonville is one star receiver away from being a deadly offense.
#4 - Establish a culture defense-wise
Remember when the Jags were in the AFC Championship, playing the New England Patriots, led by an elite defense?
Seems like an eternity ago, doesn't it? The Jaguars were once a stout defensive team; their lack of any offense was the reason for their shortcomings. With a franchise quarterback, the Jaguars have the ability to cultivate an offense and produce points.
That said, Jacksonville surprisingly ranked fourth in defense last season.
Myles Jack and Josh Allen were big contributors to the team's success on defense. If they can replicate their play, equipped with this new, revolutionized offense, Jacksonville will be on the right track.
#5 - Keep hitting on draft picks
General manager Trent Baalke has done a decent job acquiring unknown talent in recent NFL drafts. Players such as D.J Chark, James Robinson and fan-favorite Gardner Minshew all come to mind. Picks like Josh Allen fared tremendously well, too.
The two-year plan will come to fruition if the Jaguars keep stocking up on exceptional talent through these drafts. Acquiring talent via drafts comes at a much cheaper price, and if Jacksonville's aim is to become great again, it'll happen more seamlessly with players on the same timeline as Trevor Lawrence.
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