The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a much different look this season after a tumultuous 2020 season. Urban Meyer took over as the head coach, and the Jaguars drafted Clemson teammates Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne in the first round, both of whom are set to make a huge impact in the 2021 season and beyond.
For the first time since the Jaguars made the AFC Championship Game, there is a ton of excitement and hype with all the nice, young talent. While they might not make the playoffs in the 2021 season, they should be much improved from the past couple of seasons.
As Meyer aims to rebuild this team quickly, let's examine two Jaguars' starters who could be in line of losing their starting jobs.
James Robinson To Travis Etienne
This is one of the more intriguing battles in Jaguars camp. Robinson was an undrafted free agent that exploded onto the scene in his rookie year. He had 240 carries for 1070 yards and seven touchdowns and then added 49 catches for 344 yards and three trips to the endzone in a wildly successful rookie campaign.
So, why would Etienne be the starter? It's simple: he and Lawrence have a connection, and that certainly helps.
But, not just that, Etienne is explosive and dynamic.
Etienne can do a lot of things and why would they spend a first-round pick on him if he wasn't going to be heavily involved? To be frank, Robinson will get a lot of touches, but Etienne could very well end up being the starter.
Laviska Shenault
Now, as far as technicalities are concerned, Shenault should be the third wide receiver on the field for the Jaguars when they run those sets. However, when they drop to two-wide sets, it is going to be DJ Chark and Marvin Jones– for now at least.
Shenault has a lot of talent, but the Jaguars brought Jones over from the Detroit Lions for a reason. The veteran had 76 grabs for 978 yards and nine scores in his final season in Detroit and Lawrence could definitely benefit from a veteran receiver.
Shenault had an up-and-down rookie season, although that could be attributed to the Jaguars' iffy quarterback play. He totaled 58 catches for 600 yards and five scores and almost 100 yards rushing, so he can do a lot of things well.
A lot can change, and perhaps Shenault impresses Meyer more and he becomes the top wideout, although DJ Chark seems to be the guy for Jacksonville.
Nonetheless, this conversation just shows how much talent this team has, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and they should be an exciting group to watch.