After the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars now have some key moves to make regarding the upcoming season. GM Trent Baalke will be at the head of those decisions in addition to head coach Doug Pederson.
The decisions will be crucial as they try to avoid the worst record in football for a third consecutive season. Let's now look at some moves the Jaguars should make as they look to be competitive for the 2022 NFL season.
Jaguars Moves After 2022 NFL Draft
3. Figure out what to do with Laviska Shenault Jr.
Laviska Shenault Jr. was picked in the second round, 42nd overall, of the 2020 NFL Draft. Heading into the pros, he was seen to be more of a gadget-like wide receiver that could line up all over the field. In his rookie season, he caught 58 of 79 targets for 600 yards and five touchdowns. He also carried the ball 18 times for 91 yards. While they were promising stats for a rookie, he didn't show many signs of improvement in 2021. In two less games, he had just 19 more receiving yards than in 2020 and had no touchdowns. Most importantly, his catch percentage went from 73.4% to 63%.
Fast forward to the offseason and trade rumors began circulating involving Shenault's name. While he remained on the team through the draft, his future with the team remains up in the air. It's a crucial offseason for the two sides in determining if Jacksonville is the best fit for him. With a new coaching staff including head coach Doug Pederson, he may get one last shot to prove his worth. Until then, he'll have to fight for playing time as the Jaguars WR room is a bit clogged. Marvin Jones Jr. and offseason signing Christian Kirk figure to be Trevor Lawrence's top two targets. Behind them, it's up for grabs, as Shenault will battle with the likes of Zay Jones and Laquon Treadwell.
2. Allocate regular touches for Travis Etienne Jr.
The Jaguars' 2021 first-round selection of Travis Etienne Jr. remains a controversial debate. James Robinson had just come off a 1,000-yard season as a rookie, so running back wasn't necessarily a need. Former head coach Urban Meyer was adamant on the selection, but the Jaguars still got a good player. As a result, he'll see the field. Coming off a torn ACL isn't easy, but the Jaguars need to figure out a plan for Etienne in what will be his rookie season.
Etienne took all of his snaps at wide receiver in training camp in 2021. Time will only tell if that was solely a decision of Urban Meyer or the organization as a whole. Regardless, the team must be able to allocate regular touches for Etienne in 2022 to see what they have. Perhaps that's as a third-down running back in addition to snaps at WR. Whatever it is, the Jaguars must come up with a concrete plan on how to get the ball to talented player like Etienne on a regular basis.
1. The K'Lavon Chaisson dilemma
Lastly but not least, the Jaguars have a decision to make with K'Lavon Chaisson. They have selected an edge rusher in the first round in three of the last four drafts. 2019 first-rounder Josh Allen has shown plenty of promise, as he has 20.5 sacks in 40 career games. The fate of 2022 first-overall pick Travon Walker is yet to be determined, but he heads into his rookie season with immense expectations. Those two figure to be locks as starters on the defensive side of the ball. As a result, it leaves Chaisson as the potential odd man out.
In two seasons, Chaisson has struggled to translate his game from LSU to the NFL level. In two seasons, he has started just 11 of the 31 games he's played in. He's racked up just two sacks and six tackles for loss. It may be a bit too late in the offseason to explore a Chaisson trade, but it could remain a possibility. Beyond that, they'll need to find a spot for him on the field in 2022. While it's been a disappointing start to his career, 2022 is seemingly a make-or-break season for him. The Jaguars will decide next offseason whether to pick up his fifth-year option, which is trending the wrong direction for his sake.
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