Jaguars Mailbag: What’s the Next Step the Offense Can Take vs. the Bengals?

Throughout the season, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

This week we take questions on the Jaguars' running game, the rookie class and more.

Q: What are our 2 biggest needs for the 2024 draft?

A: It is early, but right now I think I would say interior offensive line and interior defensive line. I am expecting the Jaguars to overhaul their defensive front to an extent this offseason, with potential replacements needed for Foley Fatukasi, Dawuane Smoot, and K'Lavon Chaisson. Considering Jeremiah Ledbetter is a player they could also upgrade from, that is another spot on the interior they can add to in an attempt to improve their pass-rush up the middle.

The offensive line one is easy. Ezra Cleveland will likely start at left guard, but they still need depth at center and each guard spot. Tyler Shatley is in a contract year, Luke Fortner hasn't yet taken a leap, and Brandon Scherff has a deal that the Jaguars could try to get out of to save cap space.

Q: Is our secondary good enough to win a Super Bowl?

A: I think so. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl a year ago with a host of rookies in the secondary, a unit that saw their defense finish No. 16 in EPA/Play on dropbacks and No. 12 in success rate. It wasn't a struggling secondary, but it was far from a dominant one. The Jaguars' secondary has been good this season outside of the occasional miscommunication. I think it is more than talented enough to make a Super Bowl run.

Q: Is Elijah Cooks just a redshirt freshman or what?

A: Correct. He is probably player No. 50 out of 53 roster spots. He is young and has a lot of room to grow and learn, and he will be able to make another impression next year. This year, though, you can forget about hoping he makes an impact.

Q: Can the jags online fix the recent run game issues?

A: I don't think so, but I also don't think it is a recent issue.

Q: Your 3 favorite draft prospects for the Jags?

A: Oof. I typically don't get into draft talk much until it is clear the team I am covering can turn their eyes toward it. I have been impressed by Miami defensive lineman Leonard Taylor this season. Alabama OLB Chris Braswell has a lot of juice as a potential designated pass-rusher, too. Oregon wideout Troy Franklin is an interesting deep-threat to watch, too.

Q: Is it weird that I'm more scared of Houston in the playoffs than KC?

A: It isn't "weird". Their offense is clicking at such a high level, especially compared to Kansas City's. I am not sure any team wants to see C.J. Stroud in the playoffs. With that said, KC does have the better defense, a proven record in the playoffs, and they are 3-0 against Trevor Lawrence and Doug Pederson since the start of last season. I don't think the Jaguars want to see them.

Q" What is the biggest culprit(s) for the offensive line struggles? I feel like none of the individual players are bad? And they typically grade out well on PFF, Next Gen Stats, etc. Is it just a consistency issue with them? (They have played better since the Niners game, but the Titans are dead and I don’t think the Texans have an elite pass rush).

A: I honestly really can't put my finger on it. Anton Harrison has had some rookie moments but overall has been encouraging. Brandon Scherff has had a good season. It mostly comes down to Luke Fortner not taking a step forward and the left guard spot being an issue all season. It is tough to make an argument that Walker Little was better at left guard than Tyler Shatley, despite Shatley being a below average starter, for example.

Q: The early name brand mock drafts have started rolling out the last week or too, most often giving the Jags a WR in the late 1st. Does that sound as crazy to you as it does to me?

A: It does. I think there is a legit chance the Jaguars need to find a starting receiver next year, whether that means replacing Calvin Ridley or Zay Jones. They also clearly need to improve their depth. With that said, Trent Baalke has only drafted one wide receiver in the first three rounds in his entire career, and it ended up being the worst draft pick he's ever made. Once the Jaguars bring one of Jones or Ridley back, I think the idea of them going with a wide receiver in the first-round just won't make much sense.

Q: Are we going to see the vertical game get going or not...?

A: Trevor Lawrence's last two games have been his highest by average depth of target and intended air yards. Since his mobility has returned following his knee injury, the offense has started to let it rip a little bit. It isn't a coincidence this happened after Doug Pederson outright said they needed to throw deep more.

Q: Any insight to what’s going on with Davon Hamilton?

A: It seems like the Jaguars just don't think he is at the level he was a year ago, which makes sense considering his extended time spend on injured reserve with a medical issue this year. The fact that he has even played at all this year is honestly a positive. The Jaguars have the time to let him get back into football-ready condition and back to his old self.

Q: It confounds me how bad the run block game has been compared to pass protection. What is going wrong in that department?

A: Walker Little isn't a natural left guard, Luke Fortner is a poor run-blocker, Anton Harrison has had his fair of losses, and they have gotten inconsistent blocking from their tight ends. Other than Brandon Scherff, I struggle to think of any of their linemen as true road graders. It is a line built to pass protect, right now.

Q: This game is more "how much are we going to win by", we've only seen a complete game once or twice. What do you think we see?

A: I don't think you see a let-down game by any means. I think a few years ago you might have. Not under Doug Pederson, though. I truly believe from observing the inner workings of the team and locker room in his two seasons that he simply has stilled a culture where they don't let that happen. I think the Jaguars come out as ready to play this week as they did last week and give the complete game fans have been wanting to see.

Q: John - You have been critical of the Jaguars Day 2 picks. What players other than Strange and Bigsby do you think they should have picked given their draft positions in those rounds and their stated inability to trade up?

A: My main contention for awhile has been the Jaguars just didn't get proper value. Every time Luke Farrell does something positive, for example, it makes the value of the Strange pick worse. It isn't a knock on Strange as a player, but it does show that maybe the Jaguars didn't need to pick a No. 3 tight end that early, even if it was a futures pick.

It is worth remembering too that they traded down to select Strange. They originally picked No. 55 overall, and I am of the opinion that Tyrique Stevenson, D.J. Turner, or O'Cyrus Torrence would have all been better value picks in the short- and long-term.

As for Bigsby, it is tougher. It doesn't bode well that the Jaguars have demoted him to No. 3 running back, with his only two snaps in the biggest came of the year coming on a six-yard first-down carry and on Trevor Lawrence's QB sneak. Still, it isn't like the Jaguars passed on a lot of playmakers at the spot. Tank Dell is the obvious answer, but nobody was saying in April they should take a wide receiver that early (even if this season has proven that maybe they should).

My primary sticking point with the Bigsby pick is that the Jaguars misevaluated their short-yardage issues and thought a power back would fix them. It is clear it was more of a run-blocking issue, though, and Bigsby does little to help them.

Q: I’ve seen a lot of talk about how the Jaguars pass rush played well, but it felt like they broke contain on Stroud countless times. How could they have prevented that?

A: The Jaguars went with a lot of three- and four-man rushes to confuse Stroud. The limited blitzes meant more guys in zone coverage and less immediate windows for Stroud to target. One aspect of the Jaguars' defense, though, is their usage of interior linemen. They will have three on the field at one time on most early downs, so it was simply just a mismatch in terms of athleticism when it came to Stroud vs. the Jaguars' defensive tackles.

Q: Buster Brown has been fantastic in relief of Tyson Campbell being out. I thought he was picked on by the Texans this past Sunday however. What say you John?

A: I think Buster Brown has definitely been encouraging. He is better today than he was when he started vs. the Saints and Steelers before the bye week. He did lead the team in yards allowed per coverage snap (1.2) and allowed a 118.8 passer rating in coverage vs. the Texans, but I think this had more to do with C.J. Stroud and his two talented young receivers than anything else.

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