With a franchise quarterback now on board, expectations are high for Jacksonville’s receiving corps. The unit showed flashes of brilliance in 2020 despite a revolving door and injuries limiting D.J. Chark (whose production only slightly dipped a bit from 2019), as rookie second-round pick Laviska Shenault demonstrated his playmaking abilities.
The Jaguars made a number of moves to bolster the group this offseason, headlined by the additions of Marvin Jones Jr., who finished just shy of 1,000 yards last season with Detroit. They also drafted Travis Etienne, a running back out of Clemson who coach Urban Meyer has said will see reps at receiver.
This group was relatively productive without a long-term answer at quarterback. Now, it has one.
But not everyone is convinced. In Pro Football Focus’ rankings of the NFL teams based on position groups, Jacksonville’s unit falls toward the bottom of the list, ranking just 23rd. These rankings also take into account the tight end spot, a unit that was so destitute that Meyer felt the need to bring Tim Tebow out of retirement to give the position a try.
If looking just at the receivers, the Jaguars have the potential to take a big jump up this list. D.J. Chark had a breakout 2019 season and is tied for 21st in receiving grade on 10-plus yard throws over the last two years. That will play well with rookie QB Trevor Lawrence, as will the addition of free-agent receiver Marvin Jones. Jones has the sixth-highest contested catch rate in the NFL over the last three years and his catch-point brilliance will mesh well with Lawrence’s downfield accuracy and aggressiveness.
Last year’s second-rounder Laviska Shenault is the wild card, as he had a solid rookie year with a 71.8 receiving grade but the fifth-lowest average depth of target at 6.7 — and there may be a better-rounded receiver in there if he can stay healthy. The 6-foot-6 Collin Johnson is also battling for targets after a promising finish to his rookie season in which he graded at 73.4 overall on 237 snaps.
The biggest question mark is at tight end where Chris Manhertz and James O’Shaughnessy sit atop the depth chart. Manhertz has yet to grade above 60.0 in a season as a receiver, while O’Shaughnessy is a career backup who caught a career-high 28 passes last season. Fifth-rounder Luke Farrell caught just 34 passes in his college career, and his best path to contributing early is as a run blocker. It’s also unlikely that a 33-year-old former quarterback will add much to the passing game, so the Jaguars go into the season with one of the worst tight end situations in the league.
Overall, there’s plenty of potential with this group of pass-catchers, and the Jaguars would be wise to lean on more three and four wide receiver sets.
Unless Manhertz or O’Shaughnessy have breakout seasons (or Tebow proves his doubters wrong in the most spectacular way), Jacksonville won’t be able to rely on its tight ends for much production. That’s certainly going to be a limiting factor, but it doesn’t mean the group won’t be otherwise productive.
Players like Johnson, free-agent acquisitions Jamal Agnew and Phillip Dorsett, as well as sixth-round pick Jalen Camp, will provide meaningful depth, with Johnson especially looking for a productive second campaign after showing promising signs as a rookie.
The unit has room to improve, as PFF notes, but its a young, talented group at its core with a veteran leader in Jones to pick up the slack. Now that Lawrence is throwing them passes, their play should only improve.