Jaguars News (7/3): Who is Jacksonville’s most underrated player?

Your one-stop shop for Jacksonville Jaguars news, opinion, and analysis.

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Here is today’s roundup of the latest news, rumors, and analysis on your Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Jaguars podcast: 2024 AFC South player draft (Big Cat Country)

John and I conducted a fantasy-like draft of 2024 AFC South players. Since a two-man draft doesn’t make much sense, we invited former BCC writer and current Jaguars Wire editor Zach Goodall to join us.

Jaguars 2024 state of the roster: Interior defensive linemen (Big Cat Country)

Consider last year a complete wash for Hamilton. Only playing in eight games, he might as well have not played due to his lasting back injury suffered before the season. When healthy though, Hamilton is one of the game’s best nose tackles. He is like a rhino in the trenches, burying people and pushing bodies back around him. Hamilton’s ‘22 season was a career year across the board with 2.5 sacks and seven stuffs. His return to form will hinge entirely on how his back injury holds up. His being on the field can help dictate what an offense is capable of doing, and the Jags will need that this season. Hamilton, Armstead and Robertson-Harris weigh close to 1,000 pounds combined. If anything, they will cause offenses to think twice when running the ball up the gut.

Top 25 Jaguars Countdown: Walker Little Slots In at No. 22 (Jaguar Report)

“Walker’s got good tape. But at the end of the day, I’m sure he’ll be rewarded for what he’s put on tape. It’s not hard to coach Walker,” Rauscher said. “Walker does exactly what you ask him to do and he does really, really well. And I think Walker understands the importance of this season to his personal life, in terms of like, where the contract and different things go.”

2025 NFL mock draft: Miller’s early first-round predictions (ESPN)

The biggest weakness on the Jacksonville roster is at offensive tackle; Anton Harrison struggled on the right side as a rookie, and Cam Robinson was among the worst run-blocking left tackles in the league last season. But Jones — who starts at right tackle for the Tigers — has easy movement skills despite a 6-foot-6 and 315-pound frame, and I see the agility and balance to play left or right tackle in the pros. He has to clean up some timing issues, but his jump from freshman starter to sophomore standout (seven sacks allowed in Year 1 compared to four in Year 2) showed his potential.

2024 NFL secondary rankings: New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers take top spots (PFF)

The Jaguars made several changes in the secondary, as they added safety Darnell Savage, cornerback Ronald Darby and safety Terrell Edmunds to go along with rookie CB Jarrian Jones from Florida State. Cornerback Tyson Campbell returns after earning a 56.4 coverage grade in 2023, as does safety Andrew Wingard (75.1). It’s a unit that will need a lot to bounce their way, but it could be a solid overall group if they mesh together.

Jaguars’ Jeremy Garrett: From banking to NFL coaching (First Coast News)

Then one day, the opportunity to coach walked right into Garrett’s office in the form of a high school principal.

“He comes in and he says, ‘Are you Jeremy Garrett that played at Ole Miss? Why are you in banking? Why are you not coaching? We could use your help.’ So, I remember going to one summer workout and deciding this is what I want to do. Don’t really care what it pays. This is what I want to do,” Garrett said.

Editor’s pick

Every AFC Team’s Most Underrated Player Heading Into 2024 (Sports Illustrated)

O.K., this may be a tad out of left field and more of a projection. Washington had some difficult moments last year, but did rise to the occasion when getting worked into the offense toward the end of the season. The catches he did make were often difficult ones and showed some clear finesse on his part. Having a solid contested catch reputation as a rookie is always worth noting. Relative to his draft slot—Washington was a sixth-round pick out of Penn State in 2023—the Jaguars asked a lot of him. All indications from this offseason seem to be that he’s growing in the offense, and while the Jaguars imported a lot of talent at the position, Washington is healthier than he’s ever been. Plus, the great John Shipley, the king of the Jaguars beat, likes him, too. Isn’t that enough?

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