5 Players the Jaguars Will Need to Take a Step Forward in 2020

2019 saw several players make big strides for the Jacksonville Jaguars, even with the dissapointing 6-10 record and a last place AFC South finish hanging over the team.

From DJ Chark taking his game to a new level in his second season, to Brandon Linder playing the entirety of the regular season for the first time in his NFL career, to Chris Conley having the best statistical season of his career, there were numerous examples of players taking a step forward in their development in 2019. With a vital 2020 season on the horizon, Jacksonville will need the same development from other members of the roster.

“I think DJ had a tremendous year," Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "We are actually looking for some of our rookies last year to kind of take the jump that we always talk about. Josh Oliver and Quincy Williams with an offseason, they need to take the jump and do what DJ did last year for us."

Who could be this year's Chark for the Jaguars is a key question considering 2020 is a must-win year for Caldwell, head coach Doug Marrone, and others. Considering the youth of Jacksonville's roster, there are several possibilities in terms of players able to take a step forward.

But which ones do the Jaguars absolutely need to develop in hopes of a winning season? The players who, if they don't improve, could be the difference between wins and losses? We identified a few who make sense, including a few key second-year players.

It is important to note on this list that not every player is one who had a poor 2019 season and needs to elevate their game the next season as Chark did. Instead, it can be a player who was impressive last year but needs to be even better in 2020.

TE Josh Oliver

Selected in the third round with the 69th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Josh Oliver was expected by many to take on a key role in the Jaguars' offense early on in his rookie year due to the Jaguars' lack of depth at tight end and need for a player at the position with Nick Foles in the fold. Unfortunately, Oliver sustained a hamstring injury during training camp that kept him sidelined until Week 7. When Oliver did find the field, he was unable to carve out an impactful role in the offense, playing only 117 snaps and catching three passes for 15 yards before a back injury in Week 11 ended his season.

In 2020, the Jaguars will need Oliver to shed his injury issues from his rookie season and establish himself as a valuable pass-catcher. The Jaguars are still devoid of talent at the position, which is one of the most important positions in new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden's scheme. Gruden has historically used his tight ends to perform a number of roles and has even had two productive players at the position in most years. For the first year of Gruden's tenure to be successful, he will need playmakers at tight end. For Jacksonville's sake, the hope is Oliver can elevate his game and become that playmaker in 2020.

WR Dede Westbrook

Dede Westbrook won't be asked to be the Jaguars No. 1 wide receiver in 2020. That role is reserved for Chark, and therefore some expectations should be lowered for Westbrook's production. But even with that in mind, the Jaguars will need Westbrook to have a career year in 2020 in hopes of improving their passing game.

Westbrook, who is entering his fourth season, caught 66 passes for 660 yards and three touchdowns in 2019, a dissapointing season by most measures considering the excitement around Westbrook and his role in the offense entering the year. Westbrook had issues with drops in 2019 and recorded a career-low 44 receiving yards per game as a result. Westbrook wasn't put in many positions to succeed in 2019, but this should change with Gruden in 2020. In response, Westbrook needs to take a step forward in his development and prove he is worthy of a bigger piece of the pie in the offense. Jacksonville badly needs a wide receiver opposite of Chark to step up, and Westbrook is the prime candidate to do so.

QB Gardner Minshew II

Gardner Minshew was undoubtedly impressive as a rookie in 2019, with the sixth-round selection stepping in for an injured Nick Foles, and then replacing a benched Foles, on his way to a 6-6 record as a starter. Minshew completed 60.6% of his passes and threw for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, giving him the best numbers of any Jaguars' rookie quarterback in the team's 25-year history.

But even after a solid rookie season, the Jaguars will need a better version of Minshew in 2020 if they hope to improve their win-loss record. Minshew still dealt with the typical inconsistencies of any rookie quarterback in 2019, and the Jaguars need him to develop his accuracy, pocket prescence, and ability to read the field in hopes of him taking a step forward in his development as a starter. Minshew's success, or lack thereof, will determine the Jaguars' fate in 2020, so no other player's improvement is more important than his.

CB Tre Herndon

Another player who is coming off a good season, Tre Herndon still needs to get even better for the Jaguars to become a winning team. Herndon recorded three interceptions and 13 pass deflections in his first year as a starter in 2019, numbers that are even more impressive considering the fact that he wasn't even supposed to start for the Jaguars and only did so because of the Jalen Ramsey debacle.

Even after a solid year, Herndon will need to be even better in 2020 if the Jaguars are to reverse their fortunes. With Ramsey gone and A.J. Bouye set to be traded to the Denver Broncos, Herndon will likely once again be asked to play a big role in the Jaguars' secondary next season. With the Jaguars once again likely to rely on him, the third-year cornerback will need to demonstrate that not only was 2019 not a fluke, but that he is actually an improved player.

DE Josh Allen

Josh Allen was terrific for the Jaguars in 2019 despite starting only four games. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Allen led all rookies in sacks with 10.5, which also led the Jaguars and set a franchise rookie record. This productive rookie year led to Allen being named to the Pro Bowl, a big-time accomplishment considering the amount of talent at the position in the AFC.

But even after a great rookie season, the Jaguars will need Allen to be even better in 2020. Allen and Yannick Ngakoue were a fantastic pass-rushing duo in 2019 but Ngakoue announced last week that he is no longer interested in signing a long-term deal with the Jaguars, opening the door for Allen to become the team's No. 1 pass-rusher. Allen played only 60% of the team's defensive snaps in 2019 due to the prescence of Ngakoue, but this will change in a big way in 2020. With Ngakoue soon to be out of the picture, Allen needs to ensure that his production doesn't fall too far. He can do this by developing his counter moves as a pass-rusher, as well as improving upon the moves he successfully used in 2019.

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