Who is the Jaguars Best-Kept Secret?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are not a team that normally finds its players listed near the top of offseason rankings, especially in the down years that have followed the 2017 playoff run.
But that does not mean the Jaguars are not home to some truly underrated players; players who can be impact players for the Jaguars and an abundance of other teams, even if they have yet to get the recognition for it for any number of reasons.
One player who has been tabbed a best-kept secret on Jacksonville's roster is free-agent wide receiver Zay Jones, who the Jaguars signed to a three-year deal this offseason. It is Jones who Bleacher Report has tabbed as the Jaguars' best-kept secret ahead of the 2022 season.
"Even though Jones has played five seasons split between the Buffalo Bills and Raiders, he's still 27 years old and has upside," Bleacher Report wrote. "As a potential starter in three-wide receiver sets with the Jaguars, he could top his most productive campaign, which came in 2018 with the Bills (56 receptions for 652 yards and seven touchdowns)."
But with Jones not exactly fitting the qualifications due to the Jaguars paying him starter money in free agency, it is a worthwhile exercise to examine which other players in Jacksonville are underrated on a national scale and are appreciated more inside Jacksonville than outside of it.
With this in mind, here are the Jaguars' true best-kept secrets, ranked in order.
S Andre Cisco
If there is any breakout candidate on the Jaguars' defense this year, it is 2021 third-round pick Andre Cisco. Cisco's lack of usage proved to be one of the more maddening aspects of the Jaguars' frustrating 2021 season, with the No. 65 overall pick out of Syracuse starting only three games and playing 242 defensive snaps (22%) as a rookie as Andrew Wingard got the starting nod at safety.
Cisco thrived in his limited appearances, forcing two fumbles and nearly recording an interception against the New York Jets while collecting 26 tackles and missing just two. But because the frequency of those appearances was so limited, Cisco is a name that has garnered excitement inside of Jacksonville but not much outside of it -- at least not yet. If Cisco wins a starting role this season, the natural playmaker would be in a position to see his name and stock soar in 2022.
DL Adam Gotsis
The most underrated defender on Jacksonville's defense the last two seasons, Adam Gotsis gives the Jaguars some much-needed depth and consistency along the defensive line. He has shined both in a 4-3 scheme and a 3-4 scheme, appearing in 32 games and recording three sacks, 10 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and 10 quarterback hits over the last two seasons.
Gotsis isn't a true pass-rushing threat who is going to rack up pressures and sacks so he is never going to be a household name, but he serves immense value to the Jaguars and is much more impactful than the average NFL fan may believe. He is one of the Jaguars' best run defenders and has proven he can play in virtually any scheme, giving the Jaguars a consistent defender who can set a physical tone up front.
OT Walker Little
Another player who isn't a well-known name outside of Jacksonville because he had limited experience as a rookie, 2021 second-rounder Walker Little has a chance to enter this year as a starter at right tackle. Little did well in three starts in relief of Cam Robinson last season, showing the potential to be a high-level starting tackle if afforded more playing time and development.
Little allowed just one pressure in two starts to end the 2021 season, his first real playing time in several years after not playing his final two years at Stanford due to injury and the COVID-19 pandemic. If Little wasn't forced off the field at Stanford, he could have been a top pick. Now, he has the chance to prove he is one of the NFL's top young tackles as Jacksonville's next option at right tackle.
