Which Jaguars Could Potentially Benefit the Most From the Hiring of Jay Gruden As OC?

Which Jaguars are going to get a boost from the team's new play-caller?

After a season in which the Jacksonville Jaguars failed to get consistent production out of an offense filled with young players and veterans alike, the team has turned to Jay Gruden to find its offensive identity.

Jacksonville's offense had its moments in 2019, such as a two-week span where they scored 53 points (Weeks 4 and 5), but ultimately the unit played a big part in the team's 6-10 record and last place finish in the AFC South.

Now, head coach Doug Marrone will turn to Gruden, the former Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator (2011-2013), who is fresh off a six-year stint as the Washington Redskins' head coach. After Nathaniel Hackett's firing in 2018 and John DeFilippo's mutually agreed to decide to leave his post with the Jaguars after one season, Gruden will be next in line as the one the Jaguars are entrusting their faith into in hopes of fielding a sustainable offense.

With Gruden now in the fold, the expectation should be for the roles of the players on the Jaguars' offense to continue to reshape as Gruden becomes more acclimated with the players now at his disposal. 

Some players will be put in better situations than in the past, which could lead to these players finding big success under Gruden. Which Jaguars are candidates to be one of those players who could benefit the most from Gruden's offense?

Gardner Minshew II

The most obvious candidate to benefit from Gruden's arrival is Gardner Minshew II. As a rookie passer, Minshew excelled at running play action plays, making defenses pay due to quick decision making and proficient downfield accuracy. When passing on play action plays, Minshew was 46/58 (79.31%) for 658 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. This equated to 142.7 quarterback rating and 11.3 yards per attempt. 

Despite Minshew excelling in this area, the Jaguars didn't make play action a staple of their offense, running it at one of the lowest rates in the NFL. Gruden approaches the game in the opposite way, though. He operates a West Coast offense that is centered around quick passing and utilizing play action to generate explosive plays. Kirk Cousins became one of the best play action passers in the league during his time in Washington, and Minshew could have the potential to make the same impact under Gruden. 

Dede Westbrook

Dede Westbrook struggled to make a large impact on the Jaguars' offense in what was supposed to be his breakout year in 2019, but he could have a big chance for redemption under Gruden due to the coach's affinity for slot receivers. 

Westbrook caught 66 passes for 660 yards and three touchdowns in 2019, and there were too many times it appeared as if DeFilippo's offense scheme neutered his ability to make big plays. Westbrook could potentially see an uptick in production in Gruden's offense, with Westbrook being a more athletic version of Jamison Crowder, a former highly-utilized Gruden slot receiver.

In Gruden's Washington offense from 2015-2018, Crowder caught 221 passes for 2,628 yards and 14 touchdowns, becoming one of Gruden's most trusted weapons. He used Crowder to not only generate first downs but as a space player who could shine with the ball in his hands, something that could be a big positive for Westbrook. If Westbrook can improve his consistency and earn Gruden's trust, he could have a similarly large role in the offense.

Josh Oliver

Josh Oliver wasn't able to make much of an impression in 2019 due to numerous injuries that stunted his rookie year, but that doesn't change why the Jaguars liked Oliver to begin with. Jacksonville picked Oliver in the third-round (69th overall) in 2019 because of his oozing potential as a pass-catching tight end. 

From his frame to speed to ability to highpoint the ball in college, Oliver has all of the traits of a successful new-age tight end. He didn't show any of those traits in four games in 2019 (three catches for 15 yards), but this was more so due to a hamstring injury that sidelined him for over two months and then a back injury that ended his rookie season. 

Gruden has experience developing young tight ends who are built to hurt defenses up the seam. Under his coaching, Jordan Reed became one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, averaging about 55 catches a year for 561  yards and four touchdowns. Reed has struggled through his own injuries, but his speed was utilized to its potential in Gruden's scheme. Reed never had to worry about his utilization, something that should boost Oliver as long as he remains healthy. 

Aside from Reed, Gruden has also gotten production out of tight ends such as Niles Paul, Vernon Davis, Jermaine Gresham, and Tyler Eifert. His track record at the position can only mean good things for Oliver, who is still only 22.

Offensive line

This is more so due to the way Gruden attacks defenses and how it can naturally boost an offensive line. In the passing game, Gruden utilizes three-step drop passing and a lot of quick reads designed to get the ball out of the quarterback's hand faster. It won't ask an offensive line to have to block for vertical plays on play in and play out, something that should be encouraging for an inconsistent Jaguars offensive line.

Gruden's tendency to lean on play action helps the offensive line as well. It can slow down a defense's front seven, forcing them to be a step slower on their pass-rush and giving the blockers an extra edge. Gruden puts his offensive line in good situations and as long as he has a healthy and competent starting unit, he has shown his offense can help a front five thrive.