The Jacksonville Jaguars have more roster needs than most fans can remember, which explains the 1-15 season they are coming off of. Thankfully, they have 11 draft picks and the most cap space in the NFL to help them make significant strides this offseason.
Of course, of those needs quarterback is the most important. Fans will also point to defensive tackle, tight end, and cornerback as other big-time needs, but based on some recent data provided by Football Outsiders, safety is a dire situation.
In their annual All-Keep Choppin’ Wood Team, which lists the league’s worst starters, one Jag made the list and it was safety Josh Jones, who they singled out for allowing a staggering completion rate.
It’s tough to believe we have made it this far with only honorable mentions from a Jaguars roster that earned the No. 1 overall pick thanks in large part to the No. 31 DVOA defense. We shall go no further! Former Packers and Cowboys safety Josh Jones started 13 games for the Jaguars in 2020, and he was one of the worst starting safeties in the league. Allowing 80% of targets to be completed is bad in its own right, but per SIS charting, all six incompletions should have been caught: Jones did not deflect a single pass thrown his way. Jones had just one pass defeat: an interception that was tipped into his hands, and he dropped another tipped interception. The Jaguars had the third-worst defensive DVOA against tight ends and allowed the third-worst rate of open field yards by our own adjusted line yards metrics. Though at least his contract didn’t bring the team down, Jones was the worst regular starter on the league’s second-worst defense. It would be a surprise to see him return as a starter in 2021.
While fans have deemed safety a need, this information would seem to indicate that it should be more of a priority than some think. Then again, there have been multiple occasions where Texas Christian University safety Trevon Moehrig has been slotted to the Jags by several national analysts. We also slotted the young star to the Jags in our own mock this month.
An even better option for the Jags to acquire help at safety could be through free agency, as the safety class could be strong there. Players like Justin Simmons, Anthony Harris, Marcus Willams, Marcus Maye, and Josh Johnson could hit the open market, and with the cap space the Jags have, they would be wise to pick up one of them.
By addressing safety in free agency, not only would the Jags be getting a proven player, but they could set themselves up nicely for the draft to the point where they would have various options. Additionally, getting a safety in free agency would set them up to potentially get another starter at the position in the draft, as both spots have room for improvement altogether.
As for Jones, his struggles shouldn’t necessarily mean he should be released. Maybe there could be a place for him on special teams, a unit coach Urban Meyer seems to put a lot of detail into.