5 Players Who Could Be Building Blocks for the Jaguars Entering 2022

With training camp just a week away for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it is time to reflect on which young players look like the future of the franchise.

The Jaguars did their part this offseason to restock the roster with veteran talent, but it will be up to a core group of young players to take the Jaguars to the next level during Doug Pederson's tenure as head coach.

So, which players could be building blocks moving into 2022 and beyond? We picked five below to consider.

QB Trevor Lawrence

There is no question what player the Jaguars' hopes hinge on the most. As things stand today, Trevor Lawrence is the Jaguars and the one player who the franchise's entire success largely relies upon. It is a team sport, but it is a sport dominated by the quarterback position, and Lawrence is arguably the most skilled quarterback the franchise has ever had on its hands just from a tools perspective.

Can the Jaguars turn those tools into production, though? That is the question after a rookie year where Lawrence threw just 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The Jaguars hired Doug Pederson this offseason to lead the franchise into the future following the Urban Meyer debacle, but there is zero doubt that a large part of Pederson's job will be developing Lawrence.

"That's something I obviously looked at with the teams that were searching for head coaches is who is the quarterback, and is that person in place? Here it is, I truly believe that," Pederson said at his introductory press conference.

"Everything, as I've done my research on Trevor and talked to people, even talked to coaches who have played against him this past year, say nothing but great things and kind of the sky's the limit. It is unfortunate that things didn't go necessarily smoothly this past year, but that's behind us now. I'm just excited to come in here, roll up my sleeves, go to work, create a system that enhances his skill set, and be successful. I pride myself in that. We did it in my former place with Carson Wentz early in his career and really feel like that's a strength that I can help and be a part of that."

EDGE Josh Allen

One of the best first-round picks the Jaguars have made in recent memory is Josh Allen. The former No. 7 overall pick set Jaguars rookie records in 2019, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year votes after recording 10.5 sacks and becoming the first-ever Jaguars rookie to make a Pro Bowl.

Allen's production dipped in 2020 due to injuries, but he bounced back last year to record 7.5 sacks and flashed moments of dominance at his very best. The Jaguars picked up his fifth-year option this offseason because of their hopes for an even bigger step from Allen this year. Allen has shown double-digit sack ability, making him one of the most important young players on the roster.

“The first thing I think about Josh is leadership," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said at the end of OTAs.

"When I got here I was trying to just watch the film and try to get a feel for the building and what roles guys had. When you talk to Josh and see him out there working, he’s a guy that is going to be a leader for us, not just because he’s been here a long time, but because he’s a guy that works hard, has the talent, has shown the talent and you see he’s ready to win, ready to improve and he works hard every day.”

EDGE Travon Walker

Just like with Allen, Travon Walker is someone the Jaguars hope can be a face of their defensive efforts. Few players matter in the NFL as much as pass-rushers, and Walker gives the Jaguars a long-term candidate for impact plays at the position. Plus, any player drafted at No. 1 overall has to be considered a building block.

Walker had arguably the best combine performance of any defensive player in 2021, measuring at 6-foot-5 and 272 pounds but still running a 4.51 40-yard dash (98th percentile), a 36-inch vertical jump (80th percentile), 123-inch broad jump (87th percentile), 6.89-second three-cone (93rd percentile), and a 4.32 20-yard shuttle (76th percentile).

“Right now his skillset is getting after the quarterback. We are going to allow him to do that," Caldwell said at the end of OTAs.

"The way that he does it, that possibly could change. But right now we are trying to get him comfortable and when he’s out there and it’s not [too much thinking] … We just want him to go out there and play. Once he is playing, we will be able to adjust what we do with him.”

RB Travis Etienne

The Jaguars are hoping for big, big things from running back Travis Etienne. While it is sometimes hard to make a case for a running back as a long-term building block -- and while the Jaguars have another young bonafide stud at running back with James Robinson -- it is clear the Jaguars are going to need Etienne to be a focal point of the franchise moving forward.

Etienne didn't play as a rookie after a Lisfranc injury in the preseason sidelined him for all of 2021, but the former No. 25 overall pick had a terrific spring after being cleared for practice. He looks like his old explosive self, and a Jaguars' team that has lacked the ability to create big plays for years is going to lean on him to be their home-run threat.

"The speed’s real. I mean that was obviously something everybody knew coming out of college not having a chance to see a lot of the stuff he was able to do last year because he wasn’t able to play, so the speed’s very real," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said at the end of OTAs.

"He did a good job of just showing understanding of the different roles we’re trying to see. We’re throwing him in all different positions just to see what he’s comfortable with, what he needs to work on as we move forward, give him plans moving further into summer coming back for training camp. But he’s been really receptive to everything. He's shown an ability to grasp a lot of different things and show that he’s capable of doing things.”

CB Tyson Campbell

There aren't many players on the Jaguars' roster who had a better end to 2021 than Tyson Campbell. After injuries, a strange fit at nickel corner and some rough moments in the first-half of the season, the No. 33 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft completely flipped his rookie season around, recording seven pass deflections and two interceptions in his final seven games and making several plays as a run-defender that showed he can be relied upon in both phases of the game.

Campbell has the physical traits to be a genuine lockdown corner moving forward. He has the speed to stick with receivers downfield, the ball skills to make quarterbacks pay for testing him in zone coverage, the length to disrupt passing lanes, and the physicality needed to make tackles in space on the boundary. Campbell could end up being exactly what the Jaguars hoped CJ Henderson would become.

"It’s another position group that has a lot of potential there. I’m encouraged by that. I think Tyson [Campbell] is going to be a really good corner in this league," Pederson said this offseason.

Honorable mentions: LB Devin Lloyd, S Andre Cisco, OT Walker Little