Jacksonville Jaguars ead Coach Liam Coen, left, has a laugh with Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, center, during a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. with General Manager James Gladstone, right. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Where Analyst Sees Jaguars Finishing in AFC South in 2025

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated May 7, 2025 11:00 AM ET

While the Jacksonville Jaguars offseason has gone according to plan, the franchise still has a ton of work to do before they are viewed in better light. They did have a successful 2025 NFL Draft that was headlined by Travis Hunter, but soon enough, it'll be time to shut up and perform.

The Jaguars do have a better roster outlook on paper compared to what they had to end the season last year. With quarterback Trevor Lawrence set to return, wide receiver Brian Thomas' second season on the horizon, and a ton of buzz surrounding both the free agent and draft additions, the Jaguars could be turning heads sooner than some would think.

However, analyst Colin Cowherd isn't quite sold yet. When breaking down how he views each division in football playing out way before the season has begun, the Jaguars weren't favored to win the AFC South. Rather, Cowherd sees Jacksonville finishing in third place behind the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans.

"The Jaguars, to their credit, got the best player in the draft in Travis Hunter. He will make an impact," Cowherd said on The Herd. "They upgraded their offensive line significantly, so again it's not much, but I'll take the Jaguars third and the (Indianapolis) Colts fourth."

Besides the addition of Hunter, several analysts don't see the Jacksonville franchise taking a giant leap forward. Keep in mind that the franchise did possess the second to worst defense last season, and allowed offenses to score the 28th-most points per game, averaging 25.6.

The Jaguars did shift leadership however, and with new leadership comes a trail of either swimming or sinking. With the new players as well as the veterans mixed in knowing that the outsiders are doubting them going into the new season, perhaps it will light a fire underneath the entire roster.

While Cowherd doesn't state the record he believes the Jaguars will finish with, perhaps they will improve. Whether or not they have a chance to contend for the division will have to be proven on the field, but when looking at the roster as it was last season compared to now, improvements have been made.