2022 NFL Free Agency: Chris Godwin and 9 Other WRs Who Make Sense For the Jaguars

Free agency is nearly upon us. On March 14, the two-day legal tampering window will begin before the new league year begins and players across the entire NFL will find new homes.

After an unpredictable free agency period last offseason in which the Jaguars didn't target many of the top free agents they were projected to, there is no telling if this year will be different. The operative word in last year's free agency cycle, led by then-head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke, was "value".

Will this again be the case with Baalke back at the helm, this time joined by new head coach Doug Pederson?

"Are we going to go out and add talent? Yeah, we're going to add talent. We're going to add competition. We're going to bring value to the roster. Every team does that, and we're no exception to that," Pederson said last week.

"But I see talent here. I said I think in my opening remarks a couple weeks ago that it's not an overnight fix, and it's going to be a fix that we've got to do it one player at a time, one coach at a time, and get it turned around."

In an effort to identify which free agents make the most sense to potentially be those players Pederson referenced, we are going to go through each position group to determine who the best fits are, ranking them in order. First up: wide receivers.

1) Chris Godwin

Davante Adams would clearly be the No. 1 player on this list if he does indeed hit free agency, but it seems more likely that Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin will be the top available free agent at the position. While the Jaguars won't have the allure of having Godwin's former coordinator as head coach like they would have with a Byron Leftwich hire, they would be able to make Godwin a high-priced offer that would keep him in Florida.

In terms of what makes Godwin the clear top free agent receiver for the Jaguars, simply look at his skill set. He wins at every level of the field, picking up consistent yards after the catch underneath while having the route-running prowess to win in the middle of the field and the speed to stretch defenses deep. He is coming off a season-ending ACL injury, but his track record of production and traits makes him the best option for a Jaguars offense that needs help at all three receiver spots.

2) Mike Williams

In terms of skill sets that cater to quarterback Trevor Lawrence, I am not sure there is a single better fit in free agency than Mike Williams. The former Clemson star and first-round pick has proven to be a lethal deep threat and red-zone target throughout his career, dominating at the catch point and becoming arguably the best jump-ball specialist in the entire NFL.

With Lawrence's track record showing he is at his best when throwing to big-framed receivers with length, Williams is a perfect fit. He would give the Jaguars the big[-play threat on the outside they need, while allowing them to focus on the underneath and intermediate areas of the offense with other players.

3) Christian Kirk

Christian Kirk had the best year of his career in 2021 as he transitioned to being a full-time slot receiver, catching 77 passes for 982 yards (12.8 yards per catch) and five touchdowns. He wouldn't fit the Jaguars' need for a playmaker on the perimeter of the offense but he would help improve the Jaguars' team speed on offense by a great deal while also giving them a vertical threat out of the slot.

The Jaguars would need to figure out how to best use Kirk and Laviska Shenault at the same time since each is better off in the slot, but Kirk is still only 25-years-old and it doesn't appear he has hit his ceiling yet. He isn't a No. 1 receiver, but he would be a nice piece to have.

4) JuJu Smith-Schuster

While many focus on his pre-game antics, JuJu Smith-Schuster still brings a lot of positives to the table as a wide receiver. The former second-round pick who burst onto the scene in his first two years in the NFL returned to Pittsburgh last season but played in just five games. averaging 4.6 yards per target as the Steelers neutered their offense for a weak-armed and geriatric Ben Roethlisberger.

It feels like the Steelers' offensive design and Roethlisberger's decline are the biggest reasons Smith-Schuster's star has faded, but he is still an uber-talented slot receiver who would give the Jaguars a physical and sure-handed option in the middle of the offense. He wouldn't fix the team's lack of speed, but he would fix their lack of consistency in high-leverage situations.

5) DJ Chark

With this year's wide receiver class not looking particularly deep at wide receiver, there is a good argument to make that keeping DJ Chark is one of the Jaguars' best options. One of the few pure X receivers in free agency, Chark has the size and length that Lawrence thrives with while having legit 4.3 speed that could stretch the field and boost the entire offense.

The issue with the Jaguars is actually keeping Chark. After going through four losing seasons and two coaching staffs, Chark may want to find greener pastures elsewhere. The Jaguars could badly use Chark, but it remains to be seen if Chark needs them as badly as they need him.

6) Allen Robinson

A lot changes in a year. Last season, Allen Robinson would have been one of the first players named on this list. But last year was a down year for Robinson in a big way, with the former Jaguars receiver seeing a significantly smaller role in the offense after being franchise tagged, while also failing to develop any kind of chemistry with Justin Fields.

The hope for the Jaguars in this scenario would be that Robinson was simply done with Chicago last year, a year in which he also battled COVID-19 and reportedly last 10 pounds as a result. Turning 29 in August, Robinson still has some years left in the tank and would give Lawrence a big-bodied possession receiver who could win on the outside.

7) Michael Gallup

Had it not been for a late-season ACL injury, Gallup would be higher on this list. Still, he has proven he can be a solid No. 2 who can play at both the X and Z spots in the offense and would give the Jaguars a solid route-runner who has shown the ability to win downfield.

Gallup has never been a true No. 1 receiver and that makes it a projection if the Jaguars signed him to be exactly that, but he would be a nice addition for the team if paired with another starting option. Gallup doesn't have consistent production, but he has the talent to warrant a roll of the dice.

8) Marquez Valdes-Scantling

There are few receivers in the NFL who have the pure deep speed that Marquez Valdes-Scantling, as Jaguars fans well know after his field-stretching touchdown against Jacksonville in 2020. With the Jaguars simply needing more speed on the outside -- especially in the event they don't retain Chark -- then Valdes-Scantling makes a lot of sense.

The question with Valdes-Scantling is whether he is better a pure role player than as a No. 3 receiver, and the Jaguars are more so in need of a complete retooling of their receiver room as opposed to adding niche players. Still, he has speed and the Jaguars need it.

9) Will Fuller

Another established deep threat, Will Fuller has been one of the NFL's best vertical receivers since entering the NFL in 2016. He played in just two games with the Dolphins last year due to a finger injury and faced durability questions in four years with the Texans, but he is a low-risk, high-reward style signing.

Fuller would bring more durability questions than keeping Chark, but it is hard to imagine he would fetch a large contract at this point in his career. He is more of a role player and has never had a 1,000-yard season, but he has the deep speed and ball skills the Jaguars are missing.

10) Russell Gage

A former sixth-round receiver whose role increased in Atlanta in recent seasons, Russell Gage wouldn't do much to fix the Jaguars' need for speed on the outside, but he would improve the unit's overall consistency and reliability. Gage has never been a big-play threat (career-long reception of 49 yards) and has averaged just 10.7 yards per catch in his career, but he is a safe No. 3 receiver who can align outside and win in the middle of the field.