Where Do Jaguars Stack Up At Skill Positions?

The Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to increase their offensive firepower this offseason. The question is, just how well did they accomplish their goal?

The Jaguars had the benefit of entering the offseason with one of the NFL's top young talents in second-year wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., along with other veterans like Brenton Strange, Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, and Parker Washington.

To add to the unit, the Jaguars added Dyami Brown in free agency and then drafted Travis Hunter, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen Jr.

Certainly a busy offseason with a flurry of moves, especially after the Jaguars parted ways with Christian Kirk, Evan Engram and Gabe Davis.

But after restructuring the skill groups, where do the Jaguars stack up compared to the rest of the NFL?

That is the question posed by ESPN's Bill Barnwell as he ranked each NFL franchise based on the quality of their skill units. The Jaguars ultimately landed at No. 18 after taking the No. 16 spot in 2024 and the No. 9 spot in 2023.

"If you didn't watch many Jaguars games last season, about the only thing you missed out on was the breakout from first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr," Barnwell said.

"Despite inconsistent quarterback play and an offense that never seemed to get right around him, he immediately stood out as a problem for opposing defenses. Few receivers of any vintage make things look as easy as he did, as he effortlessly glided away from defenders and snatched wayward passes out of the air. He's already a legitimate No. 1 wideout."

It remains to be seen exactly what the totem pole for targets looks like since Hunter will also play on defense, but he appears to be the deciding factor on the group's ceiling.

"Could Thomas and Travis Hunter become the league's best one-two punch of rookie-contract receivers? It's impossible to say how the Jaguars will actually deploy Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy while playing wide receiver and cornerback last season. I'd argue that the two-way star might have gotten at least a little boost from his story -- he ranked seventh in the Big 12 in yards per route run -- but it should go without saying that the No. 2 pick is an otherworldly athlete," Barnwell said.

"If the Jags rest Hunter on defense more often than Colorado did a year ago, he might also simply have more in the tank on offense. Few top-five receiver picks come into the NFL with a wider range of potential outcomes in Year 1, but the upside of having two potential superstar receivers on rookie deals is clear for new coach Liam Coen."