JAGUARS RANK 5TH IN WAY TOO EARLY ESPN POWER RANKINGS

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The Jaguars will be a favorite to contend for the Super Bowl in 2018.

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Just after the Eagles took down the Patriots to win the franchise's first ever Super Bowl ESPN released their way too early power rankings for the 2018 NFL season. 

Throughout the course of the regular season and the playoffs the Jaguars earned a reputation as one of the hottest up and coming teams. With a swagtastic defense that finished near the top in almost every statistical category and an offense that lead the league in rushing, the Jaguars are well regarded around the NFL. Their skill combined with the relative youth of players on the roster has prognosticators thinking the Jags will be solid for years to come. 

In ESPN's power rankings they have this to say about the upstart Jaguars:

Aaron Colvin and Paul Posluszny are the two biggest pending free agents from a Jaguars defense that ranked second in points and yards allowed this season, and they played the 10th- and 12th-most snaps among Jacksonville defenders. The quarterback situation could change, but with a defense that good returning nearly intact, Jacksonville could prove 2017 was no fluke.

The argument could be made that the Jaguars should be ranked a bit higher, considering their elite strengths, but this seems a fair spot for the Jaguars to land. After all, they still don't know if their QB of the future is on the roster yet. 

Coming in ahead of the Jaguars are the Vikings (4), Steelers (3), Eagles (2), and Patriots (1). Of those teams there's only one that Jaguars fans can objectively claim that the Jaguars are better than: the Steelers, whom the Jaguars beat twice at Heinz Field in 2017. 

While these power rankings mean nothing in terms of what will happen on the field for the Jaguars in 2018, it's nice to see the team get the respect they deserve for their efforts this past season. The Jaguars finished in front of several impressive squads including the Saints, Falcons, Packers, Rams, Panthers, Chiefs, and Cowboys.  

Stay tuned for more.

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