3 veteran free agents the Jaguars could still sign

The Jaguars added nine new faces via the 2024 NFL Draft, but that shouldn’t deter them from looking into these three veteran free agents.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a pretty busy offseason relative to the rest of the league. They’ve brought in some notable names via free agency such as Arik Armstead and Gabe Davis, while also adding nine new faces to the roster during the 2024 NFL Draft. The selections of Brian Thomas Jr. and Maason Smith highlight the class, but the emphasis of Trent Baalke and company to add competition to all three phases of the game makes it so that there could be a path for nearly every pick to make an impact in year one.

Even so, the roster is still lacking a bit when it comes to experienced depth at several key positions right now. So here are three veteran free agents the Jaguars should look to sign ahead of the 2024 season.

Emmanuel Ogbah, Edge

The depth off the edge for Jacksonville right now is by far the biggest question mark on this roster. Currently, the Jaguars presumably will bank on Trevis Gipson and Yasir Abdullah to be their primary backups for Josh Allen and Travon Walker, which is a little unsettling seeing as the two combined to tally one sack in 13 combined appearances in 2023. For a team that ranked 25th in sacks last season, that just isn’t going to cut it even with the improved interior.

One vet that would be an instant upgrade as the third edge option would be Emmanuel Ogbah.

The former 2016 second-round pick has spent the last four seasons with the Miami Dolphins where he’s notched 24.5 sacks and has had 19 pass deflections while playing mostly a rotational role. He’s got the size and length we’ve come to expect on the defensive front and his experience would be invaluable for a team that desperately needs a proven third pass rushing threat off the edge.

Adoree’ Jackson, Cornerback

The Jaguars’ strategy to re-tool at the cornerback position this offseason has been interesting, to say the least. They began by releasing their best corner from last year in Darious Williams for both cap and scheme purposes and replaced him with an aging journeyman in Ronald Darby.

From there, Jacksonville surprisingly chose to pass on all of the top-tier corner options in the 2024 NFL Draft to focus on other needs before landing Jarrian Jones and Deantre Prince in the third and fifth rounds, respectively. Jones is expected to compete for snaps at nickel, and Prince does have potential as a boundary option down the line but neither really tip the needle when projecting how the pass defense will hold up in 2024.

With that in mind, Adoree’ Jackson could be a nice low-cost option to add to that inexperienced corner room. He’s a scheme-versatile player who has played a ton of snaps on the boundary in his career.

Kareem Hunt, Running Back

Look, I am rooting for Tank Bigsby just as much as the rest of Duval County, but after his significant struggles as a rookie, I think it would behoove the Jaguars to add a proven veteran to the running back room before the 2024 season kicks off.

In 2023, the Jaguars finished 24th in rushing yards (1,646) and were second to last in yards per carry at a paltry 3.6. The Jags’ current RB2 (Bigsby) and RB3 (D’Ernest Johnson) contributed to those marks with their combined 240 yards on 2.6 yards per carry on the year. For context, Trevor Lawrence had 339 rushing yards on 21 fewer attempts and he was hurt for half the season.

While a lot of the blame has understandably been on the O-line, the point still remains that Travis Etienne needs some more help in this Jacksonville backfield and Kareem Hunt would be the perfect get.

Not only would Hunt bring a savvy veteran presence to the group, but his ability to convert short-yardage situations would be a breath of fresh air for a team that was allergic to getting a yard when they needed it last season. Hunt makes a lot of sense if the team does decide to add to the running back room.

Are there any other free agents you would want to see the Jaguars bring in ahead of the 2024 season?