Jaguars Mailbag: What Should Be Baalke's and Pederson's Focus at the Combine?

With the Jaguars having several key needs entering the combine, what could their regime's second trip to the scouting event together look like?

Each week during the offseason, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars until Week 1.

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

In this week's mailbag, we take questions on the combine, free agency, and more.

Q: Which position groups do Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson focus on at the combine the most? 

A: I think the trenches and cornerback will be the groups the duo pays most attention to. The Jaguars have only drafted one interior defensive lineman (Jay Tufele, 2021 fourth-round) under Trent Baalke and their roster construction has them due to find some youth in the defensive line room. As for the offensive line, the Jaguars have impending free agents along their guard depth and also might have to find a new swing tackle. 

Cornerback goes without saying. With Tre Herndon a free agent, it would make sense for the Jaguars to add multiple cornerbacks to the roster this offseason. Cornerback was a weakness entering 2022 and is set to be even weaker in 2023 with Herndon and Shaquill Griffin set to be eventual free-agents. And even if the Jaguars bring Herndon back, they need a long-term No. 2 across from Tyson Campbell. 

Q: When will Calvin Ridley be reinstated? Are we overhyping him? 

A: I think it will be sometime in March, likely after the NFL Scouting Combine. In terms of timeline, it could come close to the start of the new NFL year on March 15, if not shortly after it. Ridley will be reinstated by the NFL, but the idea that it was ever going to happen instantly just wasn't realistic. 

As for overhyping him, I really don't think so. Look, if Calvin Ridley, for whatever reason, doesn't pan out, the Jaguars don't lose much. They already have their top pass-catchers coming back. If he can produce what Marvin Jones did last year, anything on top of it is gravy.

Ridley has shown he can be a top-10 WR in the NFL and a legit No. 1. He hasn't missed a single game in the last two years because of injury-related issues, so he should still be at peak health and shape. I don't see the downside to his return.

Q: Of our ERFA’s or RFA’s, who stays who goes?

A: I think JaMycal Hasty and Riley Patterson return. Hasty is good enough on special teams that he can function as the No. 3 running back in the event the Jaguars look to upgrade the backup spot, or he could return to his role as the No. 2 back behind Travis Etienne. As for Patterson, I think the Jaguars retain him while also keeping their eyes out on the free agent wire for available kickers. Patterson helped his stock a lot at the end of the season, but it is tough to tell for sure if he did enough to sell himself as the kicker of the future. 

I think Blake Hance and Cole Van Lanen are the two we see move on. The Jaguars will be expected to add to the offensive line depth, and Van Lanen struggled when thrown into the fire in 2022 before eventually being replaced on the depth chart by Hance.

Q: Why does it seem like everyone has forgotten about some of our late-round picks like Jordan Smith and Gregory Junior? 

A: I think it is because they are just that: late-round picks. Not all late-round picks are the same, and we have seen other fourth-round picks like Smith stand out in recent years, but it is worth remembering that Junior and Smith played in one combined game last season. Smith sustained a season-ending knee injury before training camp after a forgettable rookie season spent mostly on the bench, while Junior's line 18 defensive snaps came in a blowout win over the Houston Texans. Neither player has had to step into a big role, so neither has had much of a place in offseason discussions. 

Q: The Jaguars need to keep Roy Robertson-Harris around after what he did last year, right? 

A: I think the Jaguars should do everything they can to keep Robertson-Harris on the roster. They already need interior help, and he was one of their best interior linemen in 2022 and one of their best overall defenders down the stretch. His production and role might not match his price-tag, which means bringing him back might mean a restructure or an extension to lower his 2023 price. Is he the kind of player who it is worth stretching the cap for? These are the kind of tough questions the Jaguars need to ask themselves this offseason.

Q: Which free agent gets re-signed first? 

A:  Arden Key. I think Key signs with the Jaguars before free-agency, while you potentially see Evan Engram come down closer to the wire or even potentially after it. My official guess is still for Jawaan Taylor to test the market.

As for a bonus, I think Andrew Wingard could be the first guy back, too, if you want to count him.

Q: What is the roster's biggest weakness before FA? 

A:  Cornerback. I say this with the context of believing Engram will be a Jaguar in 2023. If Engram wasn't coming back to Jacksonville, tight end might take the cake here. For now though, it is corner. The Jaguars have two good outside cornerbacks in Darious Williams and Tyson Campbell, but only Campbell is a young up-and-comer among the duo. And in today's NFL, you need more than two cover men you can trust, anyways.