DEDE WESTBROOK IS THE JAGUARS BEST WR BY A LARGE MARGIN

David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire

The Jaguars best receiver needs to become the focal point of their currently inept passing offense. 

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Dede Westbrook is the Jaguars best WR by a wide margin. 

It's become more and more apparent as this 2018 season has progressed (unlike the Jaguars offense). The 2017 fourth round pick has become the most effective and reliable receiver on the Jaguars roster. It shouldn't be much of surprise that Westbrook has developed so quickly. But for a myriad of off-field issues in college he likely would have been a first or second day pick in the draft after winning the Biletnikoff award (given to the best WR in college football) and finishing fourth in Heisman voting during his final year at Oklahoma.

Dede Westbrook is the most talented receiver the Jaguars have, or at least the most talented HEALTHY receiver the Jaguars have. Marqise Lee was lost for the season with a knee injury that required surgery before the regular season even got under way. 

The team needs to use him as such.

Despite catching 69% of the passes he has been targeted on this season, Dede Westbrook is just fourth on the Jaguars in targets behind Donte Moncrief (56), TJ Yeldon (54), and Keelan Cole (49). Cole, Moncrief, and Yeldon are all among the NFL's leaders in dropped passes and are a major reason for the Jaguars lack of success in the passing game over the past month. Meanwhile, Westbrook has hauled in 33 of his 48 targets on the year. He's averaging 13.2 yards per catch and has found the end zone three times. If the Jaguars hope to turn their season around and once again become a functional offense the target share should shift in the coming weeks. Over the bye the offensive staff should work to find more ways to get their young WR the ball. 

Westbrook hasn't been perfect this season. He's dropped a couple of passes himself and has also fumbled twice. But with WRs Donte Moncrief and Keelan Cole struggling to haul in passes, Westbrook should be the main target moving forward. 

I'm not suggesting that it's necessarily a good thing for the Jaguars offense that Westbrook is the best receiver on the team. Long term it would probably be best for this offense if Westbrook is the second or third option at receiver. He, DJ Chark, Marqise Lee and a talented receiver yet to be drafted by the team should likely be the core four next year. But as of now Dede is by far the best option the Jaguars have. Keelan Cole has flashed potential and could be in the long term plan, but his play of late has to give even his biggest supporters some pause. 

What do you think about the Jaguars situation at WR? Let us know in the comments below!