4 Jaguars Who Have Made a Case for the Pro Bowl in 2019
10 games into the 2019 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have had a number of players establish themselves as worthy of being voted to this year's Pro Bowl, a stark contrast from most past seasons sans 2017 when Jacksonville sent numerous defenders to the Pro Bowl.
From young players emerging as household names in the NFL to veterans who have had career seasons, the Jaguars may be 4-6 but they have had several players who have rose to the top of the NFL at their respected positions.
So, with six games left in the 2019 season and there still being time for the Jaguars' roster to make a statement, which Jaguars are on track to have made a strong case to earn the honor of being voted the Pro Bowl?
WR DJ Chark
Stats: 51 catches for 796 yards and eight touchdowns.
Chark is the most obvious candidate for the Pro Bowl on the Jaguars' roster so far, and it doesn't look like that is going to slow down any time soon after he was targeted 15 times in quarterback Nick Foles' first game back from injury. Chark has been absolutely electric in his second season as a Jaguar and is climbing his way into the top tier of wide receiving talent in the AFC.
What kind of case has Chark made for the Pro Bowl? Well, he is tied for the lead in the entire NFL in touchdown receptions with eight, which is the top total in the AFC. He has done this despite being tied for 23rd in the NFL in receptions and tied for 11th in receiving yards. He hasn't gotten as many chances as players like Michael Thomas has, but he has found the end zone as much or more than anyone else. He deserves a Pro Bowl trip.
RB Leonard Fournette
Stats: 182 rushes for 854 yards (4.7 yards per carry), one touchdown. 47 receptions for 329 yards.
Aside from Christian McCaffrey, it is hard to find a player who gets more touches on a consistent basis than Leonard Fournette, even with the anomaly that was his eight carry game vs. the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11. Fournette is sixth in the NFL in rushing yards and 15th in yards per carry, and his 4.7 yards per carry is on track to be the best of his career. Fournette also has six rushes if 20 yards or more this season, tied for third in the NFL.
While his base stats are so far deserving of a Pro Bowl nod, Fournette will need to find the end zone more often if he wants to find his way onto the squad. Having only one touchdown through 10 games is a bit jarring and at times it has seemed like the frustration of not being in the end zone has rightfully hit Fournette.
With six games remaining though, he should once again be fed the ball and will hopefully get more touchdowns. If he can get that number up, he will have a case for making the first Pro Bowl of his career.
DE Josh Allen
Stats: Eight sacks, 32 quarterback pressures, nine tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Rookie defensive end Josh Allen is tied for seventh in the NFL in sacks so far and leads all rookies in the category, all while never really being a true every-down player for Jacksonville's defense. He is on track to break Jaguars' rookie records and 10 to 11 sacks should be the floor for Allen's production.
Allen is also set to play more snaps moving forward according to head coach Doug Marrone, so he should be able to make even more of a case for the Pro Bowl. The Jaguars have one of the best pass rushes in the entire NFL and Allen leads the team in sacks and it has simply looked easy for him at times. If he keeps up the pace, it will be hard to ignore his Pro Bowl case.
K Josh Lambo
Stats: 22/23 on field goals, 13/14 on extra points. 79 points scored.
Josh Lambo has been the epitome of consistent for Jacksonville this season, having only missed field and extra point apiece. His field goal percentage of 95.7% is the best in the entire AFC and is only behind Jake Elliot in Philadelphia for the NFL lead. Lambo is tied for seventh in the NFL in points scored and third in the AFC, so he has been a true scoring machine for a Jacksonville team that has struggled to score points.
Add in the fact that Lambo kicked a game winning field goal in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos, and Lambo has his marquee moment as well. He has won AFC Special Team Player of the Week twice this season, and has proven he is among the elite kickers of the AFC. Because of this, he has made a very strong case for a Pro Bowl nod.
Honorable mentions: DL Calais Campbell, SS Ronnie Harrison, CB A.J. Bouye.
