The Jacksonville Jaguars made a lot of flashy improvements this offseason. Even ignoring the addition of three-time national championship-winning coach Urban Meyer to lead the team, Jacksonville brought in a first-overall pick quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and an explosive first-round running back in Travis Etienne. Then in free-agency, they added a stellar young cornerback in Shaquill Griffin (whose contract is hefty, to say the least).
Looking at position groups with more continuity, like the receivers, much of the attention has been placed on returning players. Among the pass-catchers, D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr. are expected to have big years with Lawrence under center, but there’s a player who has been overlooked at times among the Jaguars’ offseason changes: Marvin Jones Jr.
A veteran from Detroit, the 31-year-old totaled 978 yards and nine touchdowns last year. He had 1,101 yards in 2017, and he’s arguably the most productive receiver (aside from Chark’s 2019 season) the team has had in years. For this reason, Bleacher Report’s Chris Roling lists him among the NFL’s most overlooked offseason additions.
Marvin Jones Jr. has flown under the proverbial radar for most of his career.
The 2012 fifth-round pick always fell behind A.J. Green in Cincinnati when it came to hype and always had to spar with Golden Tate in Detroit.
But Jones has always been extremely reliable, averaging 14.2 yards per catch for his career with 51 touchdowns in 112 appearances. His nine touchdowns in each of the last two seasons got lost in the blah of a Detroit team that won eight total games over that span.
The 31-year-old Jones didn’t make a splash by signing with the rebuilding Jacksonville Jaguars amid a stacked free-agent and rookie class. But that big-play upside and reliability will be key for the development of No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence, never mind fellow wideouts Laviska Shenault Jr. and D.J. Chark.
While Jones isn’t finishing off his career with a contender, his impact on the Jaguars could extend for years.
The receiver room is certainly a bit crowded, especially when you consider Jamal Agnew and Phillip Dorsett, the two other free-agent receiver additions. There’s also Collin Johnson, a second-year player who showed positive signs in 2020, and Jalen Camp, a sixth-round pick in this past draft class.
But Jones should have the ability to rise above that crowd, and he should compete right alongside Chark and Shenault for targets. Jones has spent the last five seasons with a former No. 1 pick throwing him passes in Matthew Stafford, and it’s done well for his career. He’ll hope for similar success with another in Lawrence.