Countdown to Jaguars Football: No. 83 and Who Has Donned it Best

In fewer than 100 days, Jacksonville Jaguars will return ... at least as things stand today.

While there is still some uncertainty surrounding the start of the NFL season, the league office has made it clear that they are planning to kick the season off on Sept. 10 and then have every other team play on Sept. 13.

By going off that timeline, we are now just 83 days from watching the Jaguars take the field against the Indianapolis Colts for the first regular season game of 2020.

In an effort to countdown to the start of the season, we will now be going from 95 through 1 to determine the best players to don the teal, black, and white for the Jaguars at each specific number. Yesterday, we tabbed Reggie Barlow as the best to wear No. 45 in Jacksonville, but what about the next number?

So when considering each player has worn the No. 83 since Jacksonville's first season in 1995, who has been the most impactful? Since the team's inception, here are the players who have worn the jersey number:

Ben Koyack: 2016-19
Tavarres King: 2014
Tobais Palmer: 2013
Stephen Williams: 2013
Stephen Spach: 2012
Maurice Stovall: 2012
Colin Cloherty: 2011-12
Jason Hill: 2010-11
Greg Estandia: 2007-09
Todd Yoder: 2004-05
Kevin Johnson: 2003
J.J. Stokes: 2003
Pete Mitchell: 1995-98, 2002
Joe Zelenka: 2001
Greg DeLong: 2000
Ryan Neufeld: 2000
Lenzie Jackson: 1999

While most of these players had short tenures with the team, a few players still stand out, namely a pair of tight ends. So, who has been the best No. 83 in Jaguars history?

No. 3: Jason Hill

While Jason Hill was not even on Jacksonville's roster for two full seasons, he was a good bit more productive as a Jaguar than many other players who have worn No. 83. While Hill was never the top wide receiver on Jacksonville's roster during his tenure, he was still a big-play threat who required attention from defenses, as made evident by his 17.1 yards per catch average.

In 16 games with the Jaguars (11 starts), Hill recorded 36 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns. Hill's performance during the 2011 season resulted in him recording career highs with 367 yards receiving and three touchdowns despite the Jaguars having Blaine Gabbert, one of the worst rookie passers in NFL history, at the helm.

No. 2: Ben Koyack

A seventh-round pick by the Jaguars in 2015, Ben Koyack is on this list in large part due to his continuity and his shining moment as a Jaguar, which came in the Wild Card of the 2017 playoffs. With 00:42 left in the third quarter of the Wild Card bout vs. the Buffalo Bills, Koyack caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Blake Bortles to put Jacksonville up 10-3, giving Koyack the only touchdown of the game between both teams.

Koyack has been waived by the Jaguars in the past but he is able to make his way back to the roster more often than not because the Jaguars know his work ethic and locker room presence and veteran experience. In five seasons in Jacksonville, Koyack has appeared in 48 games (18 starts) and three playoff games, recording 25 reception for 208 yards and one touchdown.

No. 1: Pete Mitchell

One of the most productive tight ends in Jaguars history, Pete Mitchell is the obvious pick here. A member of Jacksonville's inaugural team in 1995, Pete Mitchell spent more years in Jacksonville than any other player wearing No. 82 and he was by far the most productive, making him one of the team's more recognizable offensive threats early in their history.

In five seasons in Jacksonville, Mitchell appeared in 80 regular season games with 51 starts, along with six playoff appearances as Jaguar. During his impactful run with the team, Mitchell recorded 91 receptions for 2,091 yards and 11 touchdowns, giving him better numbers than the others on this list, as well as better stats than most tight ends in team history not named Marcedes Lewis.