What the Jaguars Can Learn From the Success of the Chiefs

With the Chiefs making their third Super Bowl in Patrick Mahomes' first five years, what can the Jaguars do to reflect on how they can model the AFC's top team moving forward?

The Jacksonville Jaguars know they are close to where they want to be.

They were just a pair of wins away from it in 2022, narrowly falling to the Kansas City Chiefs 27-20 in the AFC Divisional Round, one of only two games of the weekend to be within one possession. A few bounces here and there, and the Jaguars would be playing in Cincinnati this evening.

“I feel like we are close. Obviously, we have the right leader in Trevor. I feel really good about him obviously," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said. "What he has done and how he has played this season. It is a matter of the youth of the team now these guys played a lot of football.

"They are going to learn from the good and the bad. It is something to really lean on as we head into the offseason and as we approach the offseason program in a couple of months, which is kind of crazy to say. We are going to learn. I am excited for the future of Jacksonville. Working with Trent getting the right players in here, whether it is free agency or whether it is the draft and continuing to build our roster.”

With the Jaguars now chasing the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in their quest to be the NFL's top team in 2023, it is worth taking a look at what the Eagles and Chiefs have done to make a Super Bowl appearance after earning the top seeds this postseason, and how the Jaguars can mirror it. 

Next up, the Chiefs. 

1) Let the draft fuel your success

Other than getting an MVP season from Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs' 2022 season has been fueled largely by the success of their rookie class. Draft picks such as Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis, Bryan Cook, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, and of course Isaiah Pacheco, have played huge roles this year and each made big plays in Sunday's win over the Bengals. This isn't even including Skyy Moore stepping up in the AFC Championship Game. 

The Chiefs have obviously spent here and there over the years, but much of their focus moving forward looks like it will be on drafting and developing their own talent. They did so at a breakneck pace in 2022, taking what many thought could be a potential retool year and advancing all the way to the Super Bowl. 

Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke has already indicated the Jaguars are set to enter this exact stage of their rebuild, using most of their assets on the draft as opposed to free-agency. And with nine draft picks on hand, it isn't out of the question for the Jaguars to stock up in a big way in 2023.

2) Make the quarterback/head coach relationship the most pivotal piece of the franchise

The biggest reason the Chiefs are going to be Super Bowl contenders each and every season is that they have the game's best quarterback under center in Patrick Mahomes. Combine him with the offensive genius of Andy Reid, and the Chiefs have a duo at the top of their franchise that gives them a chance to win every game in every season, no matter the circumstances.

The Jaguars have the chance to do the same exact thing with Trevor Lawrence and Doug Pederson. 2022 already showed the pair are a match made in heaven from both a personality perspective and a schematic one, making it easy for the Jaguars to transition to the same kind of formula the Chiefs have already perfected. 

3) Find a game-changer up front and utilize him accordingly

If finding Chris Jones was easy, every team would be able to do it. So simply saying "find a Chris Jones of your own" isn't really a lesson in itself. But the fact the Chiefs have been able to utilize Jones in the way they have in recent years is a great lesson for the Jaguars and every team. Once you find a rare talent, it is up to the coaching to put them in positions to succeed, and that is exactly what the Chiefs have done with Jones.

One of Jones' biggest plays last night was a fourth-quarter sack on Joe Burrow that saw him line up on the edge over the right tackle -- a rare alignment for an interior defensive lineman. The Chiefs used his rare talent and athleticism and moved him into a favorable position against a struggling right tackle in space, giving him an easy one-on-one. The Chiefs found their game-changer and know how to use him. The Jaguars have potential game-changers already on their hands, but it is up to them to put them in the same positions to succeed.