New Jaguars OC Jay Gruden on DJ Chark: ‘He Can Do Everything’
When new Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator looks over at his offensive weaponry before free agency and the NFL Draft begin, it is likely he fawns over how he can use one particular player: wide receiver D.J. Chark.
Chark has the size, speed, work ethic, and overall athletic ability to be a game-changer at the wide receiver position, flashing No. 1 receiver traits throughout the 2019 season. Gruden didn't quite have a receiver with similar traits to Chark during his days in Washington, so it isn't hard to presume that the former head coach is excited about the prospects of scheming plays up for Chark.
In an interview with Jaguars team reporter Ashlyn Sullivan, Gruden explained what he sees in the 6-foot-4 wide receiver who doesn't turn 24 until late September.
"He can do everything, and that is what is exciting about him," Gruden told Sullivan.
Chark certainly did everything for the Jaguars in 2019. He caught 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, joining former Jaguars' wide receiver Allen Robinson as the only players 23-or-younger in team history to post at least 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. His stellar sophomore season earned him the first Pro Bowl nod of his career, making him the first Jaguars offensive player to make the Pro Bowl since Robinson in 2015.
"He is a big, physical kid, and he can run the intermediate stuff, the short stuff, the deep stuff he has the speed for. He can block," Gruden said. "He is a well-rounded receiver already, with room to grow. Which is very exciting."
Chark is expected to enter 2020 as the Jaguars' unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver after earning the job throughout training camp and the early portions of the 2019 season. He led the team in targets (118) while finishing second in receptions, behind only running back Leonard Fournette. He was the only player on the roster to record more than 775 receiving yards and more than five receiving touchdowns.
“I think DJ had a tremendous year," general manager Dave Caldwell said Tuesday at the NFL Combine. "I think he has only tipped his level of what he can be. He is a tremendous worker, a tremendous kid. I think having a taste of the Pro Bowl for him is only going to make him more hungry.”
With Gruden in the fold, expect Chark to continue to see the lion's share of targets from whoever starts at quarterback. Chark was successful with both Gardner Minshew II and Nick Foles at quarterback last season, so he can be depended on to be a prominent part of the offense regardless of who wins the starting quarterback job.
