Jaguars Have No. 4 Roster in RAS Entering Summer

The Jaguars may have one of the more athletic rosters in the NFL this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) goes in for the sack on Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) early in the second quarter. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL Sunday, December 31, 2023. The Jaguars went in at the half with a 9 to 0 lead. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] | Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY

It is more than fair to say the Jacksonville Jaguars have placed an even higher emphasis on measurables and athleticism than a typical team in recent years. Now, there is something to point to as tangible proof.

The Jaguars have drafted high-level athletes since their rebuild officially started in 2021. That has resulted in a 90-man roster todat that is, on average, the fourth-most athletic roster in the NFL in terms of 'Relative Athletic Score' according to RAS creator Kent Lee Platte.

4. Jacksonville #Jaguars
Avg #RAS 7.8

Jags are another team that has changed gears in only the last few years, with 2022-24 rating the highest for all of their rosters since 2010. It's a HUGE shift for them, as their roster averaged only 6.69 in 2020.

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 23, 2024

While there is no true perfect way to measure and quantify the overall athleticism of a team, it isn't a surprise to see the Jaguars ranked highly. The front office and coaching staff have clearly placed an emphasis on building the roster with quality athletes, taking a chance on their fair share of traits-based prospects.

Recent additions to the Jaguars' roster since 2021 represent this type of athletchism. By RAS, the following Jaguars measure at:

• Travis Etienne: 9.13

• Walker Little: 8.89

• Travon Walker: 9.99

• Devin Lloyd: 9.58

• Chad Muma: 9.77

• Anton Harrison: 8.22

• Brenton Strange: 9.09

• Yasir Abdullah: 9.59

• Tank Bigsby: 8.33

• Brian Thomas: 9.97

• Maason Smith: 8.89

• Jarrian Jones: 9.87

"I mean, we play football. It's a physical sport, right. It’s how we teach our players. Maybe you can help them be more physical, just like you can help a quarterback be more accurate with his throws," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said about physicality at rookie minicamp earlier this month.

"So it's a matter of just doing it. I think, number one, we've gotten bigger, just physically bigger, with some of the draft picks and undrafted guys, and even some of our players coming back, we've gotten bigger there. I think speed, we've got a tick faster. Obviously we know Brian's [WR Brian Thomas Jr.] speed as a wide receiver and some of the DBs now. We've gotten faster. Then when we put the pads on in July and August we'll see where we are physically.”

"Size matters. If it didn't matter, there wouldn't be weight classes in wrestling. There wouldn't be weight classes in UFC or any of the sports. Weight matters. Size matters. Length matters. And it does show up on Sundays," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said in the season premiere of The Hunt.