Why DJ Chark is The Next Jaguars Player Deserving of a Big Second Contract

Just a few years ago, fans and analysts alike pondered how the Jacksonville Jaguars would be able to fit all of their young talent under the cap. Jalen Ramsey, Yannick Ngakoue and Leonard Fournette were just a few of the young cornerstones the team figured to build around.

Now, all are gone. The last time the Jaguars gave a player they drafted a second contract was linebacker Myles Jack and guard A.J. Cann last offseason. Before that, it was quarterback Blake Bortles and wide receiver Marqise Lee in 2018. None of those extensions quite paid off, but now the Jaguars are left without many players to attempt to give a second contract to due to their mass exodus of talent.

There are certainly players entering contract seasons, just as Fournette was set to. Fournette was clearly the biggest name among the list of players on the final year of their rookie deals, but other players like Cam Robinson, Dede Westbrook and Dawuane Smoot also apply.

But none of these players are exactly deserving of the Jaguars turning their full financial focus to, at least not as of today. So while most other teams are pondering exactly how they are going to keep their homegrown talent, the Jaguars are instead having to look for some homegrown talent to actually pay.

But the Jaguars don't have to look quite that far. While there are no members of their 2017 class who are immediately deserving of a contract extension, there is a young member of the roster the Jaguars can make a deal with that is just on the horizon: wide receiver DJ Chark.

A member of the 2018 draft class, Chark is not eligible to sign a new contract until the 2020 season ends, but the Jaguars can still turn their eyes to his approaching deal. Most notably, the team can amend the mistake it made with Allen Robinson in 2018 and lock up their best offensive playmaker long-term.

When it comes to traits that you want in a No. 1 wide receiver, Chark has already shown it all. He has size at 6-foot-4, speed for days (4.34 40-yard dash) and hands that can bring down any pass outside of his frame. He has also shown massive signs of progression from his middling rookie season (14 catches for 174 yards)

These are all traits that helped Chark earn a trip to the Pro Bowl last season, a year in which he became the first Jaguars receiver to record over 1,000 yards receiving since Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns did it in 2015. In a year in which he spent the final few games dealing with an ankle injury, Chark recorded 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, establishing himself as Jacksonville's top offensive weapon.

While the Jaguars can't officially sign Chark to any deal in 2020, there is no reason they should not at least make it known to his representatives that they want to keep him in Jacksonville moving forward. There is no other Jaguars player, either from the 2017 or 2018 draft class, who is as deserving of a big contract extension as Chark is.

Sure, the Jaguars will likely want to see Chark have a repeat of his 2019 performance this year, but there is little evidence to think he can't duplicate or even exceed his production from last year. He has looked even more dominant in training camp than he looked last season, and he now has an offensive coordinator in Jay Gruden who knows he is their best weapon by a longshot.

"No, he’s very—he’s still a young player and he’s doing some great things. He can attack defenses a lot of different ways and a lot of different positions, which is good," Gruden said last week.

"He’s got a great knowledge of the offense, he can play outside, obviously. We’re moving him around a little bit so he’s doing good inside. He’s just a good all-around player, but he’s also excellent to coach because he knows he has work to do and he wants to be great."

But while Chark passes the eye test, what do the advanced numbers say? Luckily for the Jaguars and Chark, most paint a positive picture for the talented receiver who is on the cusp of establishing himself as one of the league's top young wideouts.

According to PFF, Chark is one of just four wide receivers since 2018 to not drop a catchable pass of 20 yards or more with 16 receptions. He joins other top-flight wideouts such as Atlanta Falcons' Julio Jones (26 catches), Chicago Bears' Allen Robinson (23 catches) and Miami Dolphins' Devante Parker (17).

D.J. Chark Jr. has NEVER dropped a catchable pass of 20+ yds in the NFL#jaguars #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/uki3Uvp069
— PFF JAX Jaguars (@PFF_Jaguars) June 27, 2020

"Chark played ranked top-25 in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns among all wide receivers last season despite missing a game due to injury. He also ranked well in many advanced statistics - Chark finished top-25 among 79 receivers with at least 50 targets in Pro Football Focus receiving grade, Sports Info Solutions receiving points earned and Air Yards weighted opportunity rating," JaguarReport analytics writer Gus Logue wrote earlier this offseason.

"Chark’s 2019 performance was impressive in part because his rookie season was so underwhelming. It isn’t uncommon for receivers to make a sophomore leap, but Chark’s drastic breakout was exceptional. Chark had the eighth-largest yardage increase in his second season among 619 receivers drafted from 2000-2018, per Sharp Football Analysis. "

The cheapest the Jaguars will be able to keep Chark will be after 2020. Since they can't sign him until after this season anyway, they don't have to worry about overcorrecting and paying him based on just 2019. But if the Jaguars are to keep Chark in their plans for the long haul, they will need to come to an agreement with him sooner than later, and there is no real reason to think the Jaguars shouldn't extend him once possible as long as he doesn't take a major step back this year.

The Jaguars also have the second-most available cap space for 2021, according to Spotrac, at $58,690,472. With no other major players due for deals, and with the Jaguars needing to prove they can finally keep their top-tier talent, there is no argument against the Jaguars making Chark their next contract priority.

Chark's second contract won't become a reality for quite some time, but as the Jaguars have shown, it is never too early to plan ahead to keep your young talent. Chark is one of the foundations of the team the Jaguars are trying to build, and they should make sure he stays that way for the foreseeable future.