Report: Early 2025 Jaguars' Breakout Candidates

The Jacksonville Jaguars finished a challenging 4-13 season and immediately fired former head coach Doug Pederson. Jacksonville played poorly on both sides of the ball nearly the entire season as Pederson was unable to turn things around.

There was not much for the Jaguars to feel good about in yet another lost season.

Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus recently released his early predictions for every team's breakout star for next season. While the Jaguars will undoubtedly add players via the NFL Draft and free agency that could qualify, Locker chose from players currently on the roster.

"While almost every roster will look different in some capacity, talented young players will likely still possess an opportunity to make an impact," Locker said. "From players returning from injury to rookies who showed flashes in a short span."

Locker predicted the Jaguars' breakout player for next season would be cornerback Jarrian Jones. The talented cornerback excelled in coverage and against the run this season, as the bright spot on a bad defense.

After a productive rookie season in the league, Locker believes Jones will be ready to take the next step next season. Jones is the type of player the new Jaguars' coaching staff can build around.

"Jacksonville’s defense was almost improbably bad this past year, but Jones is a building block as a slot cornerback," Locker said. "Among 42 slot cornerbacks to play 100 or more coverage snaps, the rookie ranked 11th in passer rating allowed (82.5), 13th in yards per snap (1.02), and ninth in snaps per target (6.6). On top of that, Jones contributed a stellar 88.5 PFF run-defense grade with 17 stops. The Jaguars’ next head coach would be shrewd to keep relying on Jones inside to remedy this defense."

Many mock drafts this offseason have the Jaguars adding to their defense in one way or another, as the unit was a disappointment most of the season. There are plenty of players in the draft and free agency that could help turn the Jaguars' defense around.

Adding another talented cornerback to a group of cornerbacks that already includes Jones or a defensive lineman that can help pressure the quarterback to make life easier for their secondary would help the Jaguars tremendously.

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