With Super Bowl LVI in the books after the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the 2022 NFL offseason has officially begun for everyone. That means it’s time to turn our attention entirely to next season, and in that spirit, ESPN has released early power rankings for the NFL heading into the new year.
Unsurprisingly, it isn’t very high on the Jacksonville Jaguars after their 3-14 finish, which landed them the first overall pick once again in this year’s draft. The franchise is hopeful with a new coaching staff coming in and the opportunity to improve with a lot of money to spend, but it has a long way to go.
ESPN ranked the Jags in the bottom spot at No. 32 in the power rankings.
2021 record: 3-14
Offseason in three or fewer words: Change is good
Not only did the Jaguars hire new head coach Doug Pederson, but owner Shad Khan is also committed to making changes in the front office structure by adding an executive vice president and another executive under GM Trent Baalke. Khan wants more football knowledge in the building to beef up their personnel decisions, especially at the draft. Only eight of the 52 draft picks from 2012 to 2018 signed second contracts with the team — including offensive tackle Cam Robinson playing on the franchise tag in 2021. Only one — quarterback Blake Bortles — was taken in the first round. — Michael DiRocco
Though the Jags kept Baalke in place, it’s clear that this offseason will be a transition in many ways, especially if the team makes an executive vice president hire that ranks above him. There are a few key decisions to make in the coming months, such as with Robinson and D.J. Chark Jr., but this team will have plenty of opportunities to get better this offseason.
If quarterback Trevor Lawrence can take a step forward in Year 2, this team should be able to avoid being on the bottom for the third year in a row.