
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a winning record through seven games, something they haven't been able to say in a couple of years. While the team has hit a road bump in recent weeks, they are being led by head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone, who have single-handedly re-shaped the organization for the better.
In the offseason, I wrote about the 10 best players on the Jaguars roster, which you can find right here. Halfway through the season, it is time to re-evaluate that list and display a brand-new one that better describes the state of the roster. A lot has changed, so let's dive in.
In the offseason, I took some time to evaluate the roster as it was on paper heading into training camp. Here is how I ranked the best players on the roster
No. 1. Josh Hines-Allen, EDGE rusher
No. 2. Trevor Lawrence, Quarterback
No. 3. Travon Walker, EDGE rusher
No. 4. Brian Thomas Jr., Wide Receiver
No. 5. Tyson Campbell, Cornerback
No. 6. Foyesade Oluokon, Linebacker
No. 7. Robert Hainsey, Center
No. 8. Devin Lloyd, Linebacker
No. 9. Maason Smith, Defensive Tackle
No. 10. Jourdan Lewis, Cornerback
There were players I was higher on in the preseason, such as Smith and Campbell. There has been a lot of movement on this list with a couple of new additions in the process as the season has come along, especially with the emergence of Lloyd and Travis Etienne, both of whom are free agents after this season.
With those thoughts in mind, here are the 10 best Jaguars players on the roster entering the Week 8 BYE.
No. 1. Josh Hines-Allen, edge rusher
No. 2. Devin Lloyd, linebacker
No. 3. Travon Walker, edge rusher
No. 4. Trevor Lawrence, quarterback
No. 5. Travis Etienne, running back
No. 6. Foyesade Oluokun, linebacker
No. 7. Travis Hunter, wide receiver/cornerback
No. 8. Jourdan Lewis, nickelback
No. 9. Brenton Strange, tight end
No. 10. Brian Thomas Jr., wide receiver
Honorable mentions: Robert Hainsey, center; Anton Harrison, right tackle; Eric Murray, safety; Arik Armstead, defensive tackle; Parker Washington, wide receiver
Re-evaluating and ranking the current 10 best players on the roster is no easy feat. This is a team no longer void of talent, which should be viewed as a great sign for the Jaguars and their fans. No many teams can say they possess enough talent to make it to the postseason, and Jacksonville has the case for that on paper.
With the recent performances from the offensive line, players like Hainsey and Harrison just miss making the list. While inconsistencies have hampered the Jaguars' offense and Lawrence, I still view him as a significant piece to the puzzle of this franchise going forward, while Thomas takes a tumble following a slow and frustrating start that has him in the top five in league-wide drops.
The defense remains quite talented overall, with the top three players on the roster at this time belonging to this side of the ball; Lloyd has had a remarkable season despite missing time with an injury in the last couple of games, while, despite not having elite sack production, Hines-Allen remains the top player and leader of the team.
Second overall selection, Travis Hunter, is becoming hard to ignore on either side of the ball and could eventually skyrocket to the top of this list if he sees snaps the majority of the time at wide receiver and cornerback.
The two other new additions to this list are Strange and Etienne, who have both become integral pieces to the Jaguars' offense this season. The former's absence due to a hip injury is noticeable, as the reliability as a pass-catcher at tight end is a significant one due to the drops seen at wide receiver this season. Etienne has become a terrific fit in Coen's rushing offense, quickly becoming one of the top rushers in rushing yards and yards per game this season.
What do you think the re-evaluated Top-10 list of best Jaguars players on the roster is? Make sure to follow along on X (formerly Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley for the latest news and analysis during the bye week.
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