Who Are the 3 Best Players on the Jaguars' Roster?
Every NFL team is built on its best players.
Yes, football is a team sport where the best 53-man roster typically comes out on top. Yes, it is better to be a balanced team throughout your roster than to just have a collection of elite talents among sub-par ones.
But the NFL is a players league and it has been proven time and time again that to win a Super Bowl, one must have difference makers. The Aaron Donalds and Cooper Kupps. The Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hills. The Lavonte Davids and Vita Veas. These are the players who decide Super Bowls.
In short, you can oftentimes determine just how far a team can go when you can identify their best players and find stars in the bunch. The Jaguars' last worthwhile team in 2017 was built around exactly this philosophy, and it is no coincidence that the Jaguars' two worst seasons in recent memory have come after their exodus of stars.
But who are the best players on Jacksonville's roster today? Which players stand out in the top tier as cornerstones for the Jaguars moving forward?
In the eyes of Pro Football Focus, who recently ranked the three best players on each roster, the Jaguars have two homegrown talents and one free agent addition among their top players.
In the case of the Jaguars, PFF listed the following players as the Jaguars' three best: quarterback Trevor Lawrence, right guard Brandon Scherff and edge rusher Josh Allen.
"The Jaguars have spent aggressively in free agency the last two offseasons, but they haven’t really added any elite talent in the midst of all that spending. Scherff is the closest they got to that caliber of player — a “very good” guard who has had his troubles staying on the field over the course of his career. Still, his addition should help the offensive line in 2022," PFF said.
"The hope is that No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker proves to be a snub on this list, but as of now, Allen still projects as the top edge rusher on this team next season. His 78.6 PFF grade in 2021 was a career-high. Lawrence’s inclusion is based largely on who he was as a prospect coming out of Clemson and the glimpses shown as a rookie. The disastrous environment he was thrown into last season takes much of the blame for his 59.6 PFF grade as a rookie."
Overall, there aren't a ton of surprises here. Scherff was always going to be on this list since he is one of the only Pro Bowlers and All-Pros on Jacksonville's entire roster. Yes, he is just a guard, but no other player on the Jaguars' roster has accomplished what Scherff has in the NFL.
The exclusion of 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker isn't surprising for several reasons. For one, Walker is seen by many as a talented and athletic but raw pass-rusher. Most didn't have Walker as the top-ranked player in the class and many thought the Jaguars should have drafted Aidan Hutchinson instead, so you won't find Walker on the top of these lists until he proves it on the field.
The most interesting inclusion is Lawrence himself. PFF could have named a number of other players such as cornerback Shaquill Griffin, wide receiver Christian Kirk, left tackle Cam Robinson, cornerback Tyson Campbell, or linebacker Foyesade Oluokun.
For our money, the third player on this list would have been running back James Robinson if you are simply basing it on what we have seen from players so far. Robinson will start the year injured, but when healthy he has proven to be one of the most efficient and consistent running backs in the NFL over the last two seasons.
Robinson is a legit top running back in the NFL. If he played for a team with more success, he likely gets talked about on a national basis as a top-seven running back. For all intents and purposes, he is one of the best players on the Jaguars' roster today, and in our opinion belongs on the list with Scherff and Allen.
With that said, Lawrence could easily join the group if he takes a step forward in 2022. The expectation if for Lawrence to be one of the best players -- if not the best player -- on the Jaguars' roster sooner than later, and the roster is primed now for Lawrence to take that leap.
