Tag: D.J. Chark

Behind Enemy Lines: Preview the Texans’ Week 1 showdown with the Jaguars

The Houston Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Take a look at the AFC South showdown with help from our friends at Jaguars Wire.

The Houston Texans commence the David Culley with an AFC South showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars similarly have some new faces and are inaugurating their own new era as former Florida Gators and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer takes over the sidelines in Duval County. His new signal caller is arguably a greater Clemson quarterback than Deshaun Watson in Trevor Lawrence.

With so many new moving parts in Jacksonville, it is necessary to get a breakdown from someone who knows them well. Jaguars Wire managing editor James Johnson stops by to help preview the 12:00 p.m. Central Time encounter at NRG Stadium Sunday.

Sleepers and Value Plays: Wide Receivers

2021 Sleeper and Value Play Wide Receivers

A sleeper wide receiver is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.

See also:
Sleepers and Value Plays: Quarterbacks
Sleepers and Value Plays: Running Backs
Sleepers and Value Plays: Tight Ends

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.

Average Draft order – Value plays

ADP Team Wide Receiver
1 GB Davante Adams The No. 1 from last year is always the No. 1 draft pick the next year. And since Aaron Rodgers is back and Adams is in his final contract year, why not?
2 KC Tyreek Hill Been a lock for Top-5 if he stays healthy.
3 BUF Stefon Diggs Changing teams is not always a bad thing. And apparently Diggs was just what Josh Allen needed.
4 ARI DeAndre Hopkins A lock for the Top-5 and it doesn’t matter what team he is on.
5 ATL Calvin Ridley Third-year breakout in 2020 with 90-1374-9 thanks to a broken-down Julio Jones. Now he’s gone to the Titans and Ridley starts his own era.
6 SEA D.K. Metcalf Not only taken as the ninth wideout drafted in 2019, he remains better than any of the previously taken eight. A good rookie year became a great second season in 2020.
7 MIN Justin Jefferson The Vikings lost Stefon Diggs but didn’t really notice since the rookie Jefferson caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. That was the No. 2 best receiving yardage by a rookie in NFL history.
8 TEN A.J. Brown Brown has only ranked No. 14 and No. 21 in his two seasons, and now he has to share with Julio Jones while the Titans have the No. 29 passing schedule strength. Oh, and he had surgery on both knees in the offseason. Seems optimistic at No. 8.
9 LAC Keenan Allen Good spot for the guy that caught at least 97 passes in each of the last four years. He doesn’t gain a ton of yards with each catch, but he’s been high-volume for receptions regardless of quarterback
10 WAS Terry McLaurin He keeps missing a game or two each year, but he’s averaged around 1,000 yards while playing with a mishmash of sketchy quarterbacks. Ryan Fitzpatrick is an upgrade.
11 DAL CeeDee Lamb The Cowboys were lucky for Lamb to fall to the 1.17 pick. The five games with Dak Prescott averaged 74 yards for a rookie that didn’t really have a preseason thanks to COVID-19. He averaged six catches in those five first games of his career. Anything earlier than this may seem risky, but Lamb is the real deal on a team that likes to throw.
12 CHI Allen Robinson He’s Top-10 the last two years but Andy Dalton is named the starter even though both CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper had noticeable drops playing with him in Dallas for 2020. Justin Fields is a rookie and may not be a lot better, but Robinson has the talent and is the franchise player so he’s aiming toward a payday in 2022.
13 TEN Julio Jones Jones was a Top-7 wideout every year and a yardage monster. He broke down in 2020 with hip and hamstring issues. The difference now is that the Titans have a star wideout in A.J. Brown, prefer to run the ball with Derrick Henry, and have a bad passing schedule. Hard to believe that will result in two Titans placing in the Top-13 receivers as ADP suggests. Jones is 32 years old now, has the decline started?
14 TB Mike Evans Good spot for Evans who ended as the No. 12 wideout in his first season with Tom Brady. After seven years, he still has never failed to gain at least 1,000 yards.
15 LAR Robert Woods Woods came to life when he joined the Rams in 2017 and he’s been a lock for 90 catches and 1,000 yards. He’s placed between No. 10 and No. 14 for the last three years, and now gets a better quarterback, while the rushing offense has taken a major hit with the loss of Cam Akers. Woods is a great value here with upside for more.
16 DAL Amari Cooper This is likely a good value on Cooper(ankle) who was no worse than No. 15 the last two years. The emergence of CeeDee Lamb will cut into his targets, but he’s never failed to crest 1,000 yards in his three seasons in Dallas.
17 NO Michael Thomas Thomas was a Top-10 lock when he played with Drew Brees and was the No. 1 wideout in 2019 before his injuries started and Drew Brees declined. He needed ankle surgery and started training camp on the PUP list. Jameis Winston should keep Thomas busy, but the Saints are likely to run more this year. The more Taysom Hill plays, the less passing downfield. Lots of risk and questions for a receiver with 149 receptions just two years ago.
18 TB Chris Godwin Even this may be a bit high. Godwin blew up in 2019 as the No. 3 best fantasy wideout when Jameis Winston threw for 5,000 yards. Otherwise, he’s been just another 850-yard, seven-touchdown sort of receiver that misses a few games each year. He’s been better than No. 23 only that one time.
19 LAR Cooper Kupp The change in quarterback to Matt Stafford can only help, but Kupp has found his level at 90 catches for 1,000 yards or so. Not much more upside but almost no downside if he remains healthy.
20 MIN Adam Thielen If he remains healthy, this is low. Thielen was around No. 10 in three of the last four years including No. 11 just last season. He also comes off a career-best 14 touchdowns. Not a sexy pick, but a historically productive one.
21 PIT Diontae Johnson The second-year wideout was solid with 88 catches for 923 yards last year while Ben Roethlisberger took to short passes. That’s less likely the case this year with a major upgrade at running back (who can catch), and the intention to get back to deeper throws and to run more often.
22 CAR D.J. Moore Moore posted over 1,100 receiving yards in each of the last two years despite playing with a constantly changing quarterback situation. That’s true again this year, but Moore has always risen to the occasion and this is the second year for OC Joe Brady’s offense.
23 SEA Tyler Lockett Lockett has never been worse than No. 13 since 2017, but the emergence of D.K. Metcalf saw Lockett’s role shrink in the second half of last year. The Seahawks have one of the worst passing schedules, so Lockett may be hard pressed to return to his previous level of production.
24 CIN Ja’Marr Chase Okay, so he really only produced one big year at LSU but 84-1780-20 as a sophomore winning a national championship got him plenty noticed. Now back with the same quarterback as he had in college, expectations are very high. Chase was a COVID-19 opt-out in 2020, so he’s realistically very raw. It may all come together quickly and this draft slot says plenty of fantasy fans believe that. Great allure and tremendous natural talent, but risk all the same.

Sleepers and overvalued players

ADP Team Wide Receiver
25 NYG Kenny Golladay The ex-Lion cashed in for a four-year, $72 million contract with the Giants despite a down 2020 when he missed 11 games with hamstring and hip injuries. Golladay (hamstring) already will miss 2-3 weeks of practice. The jury is still out on Daniel Jones as a starting quarterback but they have no other options. The offense has been conservative with OC Jason Garrett, but that should favor the new No. 1 wideout for the Giants.
26 SF Brandon Aiyuk While Aiyuk’s production varied greatly, he impressed with four games over 90 yards and filled in for the absent Deebo Samuel and George Kittle last year. His stock has fallen a bit as the summer wears on, and the 49ers should spread the ball around more this year. And run the ball more as well. He’s talented, but the offense hasn’t produced any stud wide receivers in a long time.
27 CLE Odell Beckham Jr The move to Cleveland produced the lowest catch totals in his career. And he’s battled injuries since 2016 and then tore his ACL in Week 7 last year. The Browns have a dominating rushing offense, but the the passing stats are already some of the lowest in the NFL. And now he is rehabbing a torn ACL? No thanks.
28 CIN Tee Higgins Higgins already formed chemistry with Joe Burrow last year and ended with 908 yards as a rookie. The addition of Ja’Marr Chase will have an impact to be sure, but Chase did not play last year and will take time. Tyler Boyd will take the bigger hit. This is a great spot for Higgins who could go a bit earlier.
29 PIT Chase Claypool The 6-4 Notre Dame product turned in monster games and a few total whiffs as a rookie. No team threw more than the Steelers and that’s bound to decrease. Upgrading the running game alone will impact the passing. Claypool is still a bit risky given the offense, but he has plenty of upside to merit this pick.
30 PHI DeVonta Smith Smith may struggle through his rookie year with a quarterback who is still learning the job. And he’s oddly lanky at 6-1 but only 175 pounds. But all he has ever done is dominate when given the chance. He won the Heisman as a wideout after he posted 117-1856-23 over 13 games last year. Risk as a rookie? Of course. Upside to surprise? Always has so far.
31 DEN Courtland Sutton Was on the path to big things after posting 1,112 yards and six scores in his second season, but last year he tore his ACL. Until there is proof he is over the injury – physically and mentally – I’m not buying.
32 JAX D.J. Chark The Jaguars are all new for 2021 and Chark is the only receiver cemented in his role. His success rides on the arm of the rookie Trevor Lawrence, but he posted 1,000 yards in 2019 with far less pedigreed quarterbacks. The No. 1 wideout for any team should be this high. Chark has the best offense around him since he was drafted in 2018.
33 DEN Jerry Jeudy The 1.15 pick last year led the Broncos in receiving despite the offense crumbling around him with injuries. Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater are fighting to be the starter, so Jeudy may still be limited by his quarterback play. But he did post two 100-yard efforts as a rookie, including 140 yards in Week 17.
34 PIT JuJu Smith-Schuster Signed a one-year deal to stay in Pittsburgh, but his monster 2018 season is hard to recall. Smith-Schuster caught 97 passes last year while Ben Roethlisberger couldn’t throw deep, but he only averaged a paltry 8.6 yards. Falling this far may mean he is a value, but the Steelers want to run more this year and start throwing deeper again.
35 SF Deebo Samuel The 49ers passing game is hard to call with uncertainty at quarterback. But Brandon Aiyuk looked strong as a rookie and George Kittle will be back. Samuel missed nine games in 2020 because he couldn’t stay healthy. The 49ers want to run more, not pass more to the No. 3 target.
36 CAR Robby Anderson This is a steal if Anderson can repeat the 95 catches of last year, but a change in quarterback to Sam Darnold puts more risk into the equation. They played together at the Jets, so it won’t be all new. But a healthy Christian McCaffrey means fewer passes for the wideouts.
37 TB Antonio Brown Brown is 33 years old, so hardly a youngster. But he caught 45 passes in just eight games with Tom Brady and somehow kept completely out of the news for once. Too many mouths to feed in Tampa Bay to rely on the No. 3 wideout, but he merits a fantasy roster spot and a chance that he eventually offers enough reliabilty to consider starting.
38 IND Michael Pittman Jr. He’s big and fast, but was limited as a rookie to only 40 catches. Now a uncertain situation with Carson Wentz throws risk at least into the early portion of the season. He’s a great pick at this spot and has the talent level to do much more when the Colts secure a decent passing game.
39 JAX Laviska Shenault Jr. Managed to post 58 catches as a rookie on a deteriorating Jacksonville offense but only gained 10.3 yards per catch. Solid pick at this point with some upside if Trevor Lawrence can meet expectations.
40 CIN Tyler Boyd Was a 1,000-yard sort of receiver until last year when Tee Higgins showed up. Now Ja’Marr Chase reunites with his college quarterback and Boyd looks lost in the shuffle. Bigger concern is that he’ll start the season well enough but fade later on as Chase starts to get back into the groove.
41 HOU Brandin Cooks The Texans offense looks like a train wreck, but Cooks managed 1,150 yards and six scores in his first season there. Stepping down from Deshaun Watson to Tyrod Taylor or even Davis Mills naturally drops Cooks’ outlook. But a No. 1 wideout on a team that will need to throw is worth picking up here and maybe even earlier.
42 LAC Mike Williams He’s had touchdowns with no yards, and then yards with no touchdowns. First year with Justin Herbert ended with 48 catches for 756 yards and five scores so in the middle for once. The 6-4 Williams offers a nice target for the developing Hebert, and losing Hunter Henry may help Williams.
43 MIA Will Fuller Four 100-yard games last year, missed five others and was mediocre in the rest. Fuller has the talent but not the durability. He’s missed at least five games in each of the last four seasons. Suspended to open the year.
44 CLE Jarvis Landry Landry offers a safe WR3 production at the cost of a backup. He’s a great bye week filler and can offer double-digit fantasy points in a PPR league as the possession receiver. No real upside but a solid performer worth plugging in when needed.
45 WAS Curtis Samuel He gets dinged up, but Samuel enters his fifth season and yet is only 24 years old. He finally became a decent receiver with 77 catches in Carolina, and he ran 41 times for 200 yards. Washington needs the help and should have improved passing. Samuel is finally stepping beyond being just a gimmick.
46 MIA Jaylen Waddle This is almost certainly an appropriate spot for a wideout that never produced more than 45 catches in any season for Alabama. He reunites with Tua Tagovailoa, but the Fins don’t seem completely sold on the quarterback so far. But Waddle played on a talent-rich Crimson Tide and should become the No. 1 wideout in Miami, if only eventually. He runs a 4.3 40-yard time and was drafted 1.06. Tons of upside and the Fins have one of the lightest passing schedules and yet a mediocre-looking run game.
47 KC Mecole Hardman He has a better opportunity with Sammy Watkins gone but then again – what did Watkins do? Hardman hasn’t made much dent into the prolific passing offense for the last two years. Demarcus Robinson also figures in so someone else can let Hardman disappoint for the third year in a row.
48 BAL Marquise Brown He hasn’t remotely made good on his selection in 2019 when he was the first wideout drafted. The Ravens brought in Sammy Watkins and drafted Rashod Bateman, so Brown’s road to relevancy may be even harder this year. Still – he was dynamic at Oklahoma and the Ravens have a much better passing schedule.
49 LV Henry Ruggs III Ruggs was just another Marquise Brown who offered speed but delivered an underwhelming rookie season. His 26 catches for 452 yards suggest he’s due for only an incremental increase for Year 2.
50 ATL Russell Gage Gage is a great pick at this spot. He replaces Julio Jones and already totaled 72 receptions last year. Granted – he doesn’t tack on much after the catch and, like Julio, hasn’t added many touchdowns. But he’s in a solid situation to see an uptick in production. He’s a great bye week cover and potential weekly plug-in if your roster goes bad.
51 DAL Michael Gallup Gallup fell to No. 3 with the addition of CeeDee Lamb. His 59 catches for 843 yards of 2020 feels more like his ceiling than floor. He’ll still offer some fantasy value, but any chance of a big game is almost impossible.
52 CHI Darnell Mooney He’s small at only 5-10 and 176 yards, but the fifth-round pick from Tulane surprised with 61 receptions for 631 yards as a rookie. He holds onto the No. 2 role across from Allen Robinson and was the No. 49 fantasy wideout in his first year. Once Andy Dalton falls to the wayside, Mooney can start gaining chemistry with Justin Fields, who can buy time and let Mooney use his 4.38 speed.
53 IND T.Y. Hilton At 31 years old, Hilton is on the downside of his career and only managed around 50 catches in each of the last two seasons. That seemed to be looking up with the stronger arm of Carson Wentz but now he’s out for an unknown amount of time. Hilton’s fine as a backup to see if he is safe to play, but his time as a no-brainer fantasy starter is over.
54 NYJ Corey Davis Davis looked like moving to the Jets would help his career. But then they added Keelan Cole and drafted Elijah Moore and retained Jamison Crowder. Add in a rookie quarterback on a rebuilding team with new coaches and schemes, and Davis looks like more risk than reward.
55 NYJ Elijah Moore The Ole Miss product runs a 4.35 40-time and will become the slot receiver. But the Jets also kept Jamison Crowder so Moore’s path to more receptions may take some time. This deep, he’s a decent roster add if you can wait a month or two.
56 BUF Cole Beasley Beasley made references to retiring because of COVID restrictions but has remained. The Bills added Emmanuel Sanders and want more from Gabriel Davis, so Beasley’s role is more likely to decline than increase.
57 MIA DeVante Parker His freakishly productive end to 2019 did not repeat and Parker floated back down to a more standard 63 catches for 793 yards last year. Adding Jaylen Waddle and Will Fuller will not help Parker to rekindle the temporary mojo of 2019.
58 JAX Marvin Jones The 31-year-old moves to Jacksonville after a solid 2020 with 978 yards and nine touchdowns. But the aging receiver mixes in with DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault on a completely revamped offense with new coaches and a rookie quarterback. He signed a two-year deal, but the Jaguars can get out of it after this year.
59 BAL Sammy Watkins Moving from the Chiefs to the Ravens seems like a major downgrade, but Watkins had no chance behind Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. In Baltimore, all there is ahead of him is Marquise Brown, who has been a bust. Watkins drew rave reviews from the coaching staff and the Ravens want to throw more downfield. As a final draft pick, Watkins offers some upside.
60 NO Tre’Quan Smith The Saints haven’t decided on a quarterback and may not the entire year. Smith could actually benefit from Drew Brees leaving if they opt for Jameis Winston throwing deep balls. Worthy fantasy depth to see what happens.

Best of the Rest

Jakobi Meyers (NE) – Meyers caught 59 passes for 729 yards to lead an otherwise dismal passing offense for the Patriots last year. There are more targets in New England this year, but Jakobi already has earned a starting spot and meshed better with Cam Newton than any other receiver last year.

Darius Slayton (NYJ) – The Giants should keep Slayton as the split end this year while Kenny Golladay is the slot and flanker. Slayton’s 50-751-3 led the Giants’ receivers last year. He should maintain that level of production that ranked No. 53 last year. He’s only 25 years old and posted roughly the same stats as a rookie in 2019 as well.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (GB) – Worthless if Jordan Love started, but worth owning as fantasy depth since Aaron Rodgers stayed. He has plenty of flops, but topped 100-yards twice last year.

Watch: Trevor Lawrence practices with Jags teammates at Clemson’s facility

Lawrence put in some work with his Jaguars teammates at the Clemson football facility on Wednesday morning.

We may be stuck in the doldrums of summer between organized team activities and fall camp, but that doesn’t mean the work stops for Jaguars first overall pick Trevor Lawrence. The quarterback was spotted practicing with some of his Jacksonville teammates at the Clemson football facility Wednesday morning.

According to a tweet from Tigers receiver coach Tyler Grisham, the grounds crew at Clemson specifically painted the hash marks on the field to mimic NFL dimensions for the throw-around session.

The video is from afar, but both DJ Chark Jr. and Marvin Jones Jr. posted videos from their Instagram story feeds of them visiting Clemson’s facility.

We’re still more than two weeks out from the start of fall camp on July 31, but it should be encouraging for Jaguars fans to see Lawrence working with teammates on his off time. The rookie was a bit limited during OTAs as he recovers from surgery to his non-throwing shoulder in the spring, but he’s expected to be fully healthy this fall and compete for the starting job.

Fans certainly hope to see him line up under center Week 1, and though he won’t claim that spot unchallenged, it’s clear he’s putting in the work with his new teammates.

The Jaguars can’t afford to lose D.J. Chark next offseason

Extending Chark should be a top priority for the Jaguars this season.

Jacksonville has had one constant on offense the past two seasons, despite the revolving door at quarterback: the play of fourth-year wideout D.J. Chark. After a disappointing rookie year in which he made just 14 catches for 174 yards, the former second-round pick out of LSU had a breakout sophomore season.

He registered just over 1,000 yards receiving with eight touchdowns as the favorite target of rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew. Injuries to Minshew in 2020 hurt Chark’s production in Year 3, but he still finished with 706 yards and five touchdowns.

But heading into 2021, he could potentially be looking at his last season in a Jaguars uniform. Chark’s rookie contract is set to expire following the season, and reaching an extension on the star receiver will be a top priority for Jacksonville during the season.

Unsurprisingly, according to Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, Chark is the pending free agent the Jags can’t afford to lose.

This could change if promising 2020 second-round wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. can continue to flourish for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but you still need several strong receiving options for young quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

So again, we’re looking at a 2018 second-rounder in wideout DJ Chark Jr., who put up more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore in 2019. His numbers dipped as he was hampered by injuries in 2020, and he is now entering the final year of his rookie deal.

It’ll be fun to see what Shenault and Chark can do with a talent like Lawrence under center. The Jags owe it to Lawrence to make sure both are around for several seasons to come.

How productive Shenault is this season will certainly play a role in how desperate the team is to bring back Chark. The second-year player impressed in organized team activities and is expected to have a breakout Year 2, much like Chark did.

However, even if Shenault is able to improve on his 600 yards from a year ago, he’s a very different player than Chark, who has three inches on him. Jacksonville needs more than one quality receiver, and bringing Chark back should be a no-brainer.

An extension may not come cheap. It’s a contract year for him, and with the offense expected to take a leap forward, he could increase his value fairly significantly this season. But regardless, with a young quarterback who needs weapons, there’s no excuse to not give Chark a long-term deal.

Laviska Shenault named Jags’ biggest offseason standout

Shenault can’t be overlooked, and whether or not he’s the top option, he will play a major role in the Jacksonville offense in 2021.

Laviska Shenault Jr. continues to add to his list of believers. The second-year wide receiver had 58 catches for 600 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie despite the team’s offensive struggles in 2020, and now that first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence is on the team, expectations are high for Shenault.

He impressed the coaching staff during organized team activities, and it seems that has now spread to the national media. On his list of the standout players of the offseason so far for each NFL team, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski chose Shenault for the Jags.

New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer caused a stir when this year’s 25th overall pick, running back Travis Etienne, spent all of rookie minicamp playing wide receiver.

Meyer and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell are searching for a hybrid to fill the H-back role in the team’s new scheme. Etienne shouldn’t be the only choice.

Second-year wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. showed out during the offseason program as a true playmaker.

“He’s a guy that’s right, in the right position, at that age gap. I love who he is, I love the way he practices, he’s been there every day,” Meyer told reporters. “He’s a great puzzle piece for us to have on offense, plus his attitude every day is fantastic.”

Etienne can stay in the backfield since Shenault is a wide receiver with running back capabilities after catching the ball.

Though, like Shenault, Etienne has a lot of versatility and can be used both in the rushing and passing game, they aren’t very similar players aside from that. Shenault is much bigger in both height and frame, having three inches and 17 pounds on Etienne.

The latter will likely see some reps at receiver, but he’ll likely see most of his playing time at running back. Likewise, Shenault should mostly contribute on the outside, as he did last season. Though he’s a major threat with the ball in his hands, totaling 298 yards after the catch last season, he only saw 18 rushing attempts.

The Jaguars have a No. 1 receiver candidate in D.J. Chark, whose tantalizing ball skills made him a favorite target of Gardner Minshew II the last two years. But Shenault can’t be overlooked, and whether or not he’s the top option, he will play a major role in the Jacksonville offense in 2021.

Poll: Who will lead the Jaguars in receiving in 2021?

With a new franchise quarterback on board, which of Jacksonville’s receivers will be the most productive in 2021?

The quarterback side of the equation has been figured out in Jacksonville. Though we’re yet to see first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence compete in a game, he may already be the most talented passer the franchise has ever had. The question now is, where will he be throwing the ball?

The passing game was one of the areas that suffered the most with a revolving door at quarterback in 2020 between Gardner Minshew II, Jake Luton, and Mike Glennon. Three of Jacksonville’s top-five receivers from a year ago, Keelan Cole, Chris Conley, and Tyler Eifert, are no longer with the team.

Last year’s leader in receiving yards, D.J. Chark, is back after totaling 706 yards and five scores a year ago. But that was a bit disappointing after breaking 1,000 yards during his second season in 2019, and he’s one of the players on the team looking for a major bounce-back this season.

He’s a natural candidate to be the team’s No. 1 receiver, but he won’t claim that spot without a challenge. Second-year receiver Laviska Shenault Jr., who finished third with 600 receiving yards last year and matched Chark’s five touchdowns, has been impressive in organized team activities so far. Some have said he looks like a No. 1 receiver in his own right, and he’ll certainly try to prove that on the field.

These are the two obvious candidates to lead the team in receiving yards, but what of the dark horse candidates? Marvin Jones Jr., a free-agent signing from Detroit, finished with more yards last year (978) than any Jacksonville receiver. He’s 31-years-old, but the production is still there.

Jones will be an important veteran leader for this team, but he simply may not see enough targets throughout the season to compete with Chark and Shenault.

There are also less likely options, like second-year receiver Collin Johnson, who had 272 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie last year, and Jalen Camp, a receiver from Georgia Tech who was taken in the sixth round. But neither will likely see more than rotational action.

Chark and Shenault are the clear candidates to be the most productive receiver on the team next year, and the young duo will certainly play a major role in the years to come. But you also can’t sleep on Jones, who remained productive despite a moribund situation in Detroit.

Which of these three do you think will be the team’s leading receiver? Let us know in the poll below.

[polldaddy poll=10863546]

Former LSU WR DJ Chark opens up about anxiety and depression

Chark said that he was first diagnosed with anxiety and depression during his time at LSU.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. discussed his personal experiences with both anxiety and depression.

In the video below published by NFL’s official Twitter account, Chark told his story:

The 24-year-old wide receiver said that he was first diagnosed with anxiety and depression during his time at LSU, which resulted in him getting prescribed anti-anxiety medication.

Chark said that taking the medication on a daily basis as well as going to therapy helped him “gain more control over my actions and my life.”

He also added that spending time with his his wife and dogs has helped him stay mentally healthy and happy.

Chark is preparing to enter his fourth NFL season after getting selected by the Jags in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft.

In 2019, his second season in the NFL, Chark broke out in a major way by recording 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and 8 touchdowns helping him earn his first career Pro Bowl nod.

Last season, Chark finished with 53 catches for 706 yards and 5 touchdowns in 13 games. He accomplished all of that for a Jaguars team that threw out three different starting quarterbacks throughout the season.

[lawrence-related id=18040]

This coming season could be a big year for Chark, as he’ll have the first overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence throwing him the ball.

DJ Chark is a player you love to root for, regardless of which team you’re a fan of.

The Charks welcome new daughter into the world

The star Jacksonville receiver and his wife, Chantelle, welcomed their daughter, Mackenzie, into the world on Tuesday.

This has been an exciting offseason for Jacksonville receiver D.J. Chark for a number of reasons. Sure, on the field, the team acquired a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence to throw balls to him and a free agent receiver in Marvin Jones to draw some defensive attention away from him.

But more momentous than any of that, Chark and his wife, Chantelle, welcomed their first child into the world. Their daughter, Mackenzie Deanna Jaliyah “DJ” Chark, was born on Tuesday at the couple’s home.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPDvslLnvR-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“So thankful for these 2 phenomenal ladies!” Chark said. “Watching my wife dominate every day of this 9 month journey has been inspiring. To see you give birth to this beautiful angel in our home is an experience I’ll never forget! You are a true warrior.. and an amazing mom! So happy to be a girl dad! Mackenzie DJ Chark! I’ll love you”

Chark, who was (understandably) one of the few Jags players not in attendance for camp on Wednesday, made headlines before the birth of his daughter by purchasing a diamond-covered pendant for her that’s estimated to be worth around $50,000.

Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, Chark can expect a major payday soon, so it’s a justifiable purchase. He’s expected to take a major leap forward with Lawrence throwing passes to him, and he should see a major extension from the Jaguars if that proves to be the case.

For now though, we wish Chark the best with his expanded family.

Marvin Jones Jr. shows a high level of confidence in Darrell Bevell’s offense

The Jags needed more experience at WR and got just that with the signing of Marvin Jones, who brings familiarity to the offense.

While the addition of Urban Meyer was the biggest acquisition for the Jacksonville Jaguars tis offseason, his decision to add Darrell Bevell to the staff was one fans loved, too. Bevell is one of the NFL’s most respected offensive minds, and it’s showing even before he’s started coaching the players on the roster.

During the first week of free agency, the Jags signed two of Bevell’s former receivers from the Detroit Lions in Jamal Agnew and Marvin Jones Jr. Both had nothing but kind words to say about their former interim head coach and offensive coordinator, and Jones even went as far as saying the offense was “fun” to him on multiple occasions.

“I think just the camaraderie that we have with each other and just the leader that he is,” said Jones when asked what helps him the most in Bevell’s scheme. “Obviously, his offense kind of speaks for itself with the success that he’s had since he’s been in the league, and it’s just a fun offense. It’s a fun offense where I can go inside, go outside, do a lot of the things that I didn’t do before having his offense. So, it’s a lot of stuff that you can do, and I think it fits perfect for me.”

In addition to his familiarity with the offense and the abilities he brings to the table, Jones will be the most experienced receiver on the Jags’ roster with nine seasons under his belt. That said, he’ll be instantly thrust into a leadership role for the receivers as the Jags’ two biggest ascending stars in the passing game, D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr., aren’t even 25 yet.

“It feels good obviously because I’m still here and I’m still playing at the top of my game,” said Jones when speaking on being the most experienced receiver. “I just met everybody, met the young receivers and they didn’t know I was 31. They were like, ‘Man, you look like us.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah. I’ll show you the way. I’ll show you how to get there.’ I’m here, I’m here to be that mentor and for them to follow me. I love that and I love that type of pressure. So yeah, it feels good.”

There aren’t many receivers out there who would be better for Chark and Shenault to learn from than Jones, who is coming off a tenure where he went under the radar while accumulating 286 receptions for 4,296 yards, and 36 receptions with the Lions. Now, it will be a matter of the trio putting in the work and getting in sync with probable  No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence before the regular season. If all of those things happen, Jags fans can expect an improved passing game, with Jones being a key reason behind it.

D.J. Chark celebrates becoming a girl dad with some bling

The Jaguars receiver bought a pendant and chain for his daughter, who is due in May. All in all, the piece is estimated to be worth $50,000.

What do you do when you’re an NFL star with over $3 million in career earnings who’s excited about the birth of your first child? Why, you buy some flashy jewelry to commemorate it.

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver D.J. Chark, who is coming off his third season in the league, is set to become a father before the team next takes the field. The 24-year-old and his wife, Chantelle, are expecting their daughter, Mackenzie, in May. And according to a report from TMZ, Chark wanted a special piece ready to celebrate it.

He purchased a diamond-covered pendant that features the engraved message “Mommy and Daddy love you,” as well as her name engraved into the side of the gold ring

The pendant alone contains 15 carats of diamonds and 80 grams of gold, while the chain that goes with it has 150 grams of gold and 20 carats of diamonds. All in all, the piece is reportedly worth around $50,000.

We wish Chark and his family all the best during this exciting time.