JAGUARS WEEK TWO STOCK WATCH: WHO'S TRENDING DOWN?

Mark J Rebilas/Icon Sportswire

Which players are trending in the wrong direction after two weeks?

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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It's time to take a look at some Jaguars who are trending in the wrong direction after week two of the 2021 regular season. The Big Cats are 0-2 and have lost 17 straight overall, so there are plenty of players that could fall into the "stock down" category, but we'll stick with five guys (or groups) today. 

Laviska Shenault

After proving to be an effective short game weapon for the Jaguars in week one against the Texans, Shenault struggled in week two. The Jaguars gave him more opportunities to make plays in the intermediate area of the field this week, and he rewarded their confidence with three first-half drops. The second-year receiver has a rare combination of size, athleticism, and YAC ability, but he fell flat in week two, primarily due to self-inflicted errors. He finished the game with two catches on seven targets for -3 yards. Yikes. Shenault is a talented, self-motivated young weapon that should be able to rebound strongly in week three against the Cardinals, but as of right now, his stock is trending down. 

DJ Chark

It probably shouldn't come as a surprise that fourth-year wide receiver DJ Chark is off to a slow start. He missed most of training camp and the preseason with a broken finger. That affected his ability to practice catching the ball and negatively impacted his timing and chemistry with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Chark has hauled in four of his 15 targets through two weeks. If the Jaguars' offense has any chance to score with more regularity, the Trevor Lawrence to DJ Chark connection will need to become more secure. Chark is in a contract year. 

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Josh Lambo

The most accurate kicker in the league from 2018-2020, Josh Lambo has yet to connect on a field goal attempt in 2021. He's missed three in total, including one from 48 and another from 52 in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. Lambo is a tireless worker and a favorite of head coach Urban Meyer. But if he can't get this thing turned around, you have to wonder how long his leash will be. 

The Cornerback Room

The Jaguars are struggling when it comes to covering opposing receivers. Shaquill Griffin has been breathtakingly close to picking off two passes in consecutive weeks, but both ended up falling harmlessly to the ground. Outside of those two nearly spectacular plays on the ball, Griffin has been relatively average. The 2021 free agent signing has surrendered seven completions on 11 targets for 109 yards in primary coverage. The rest of the cornerback room has been terrible, combining to allow 18 completions on 22 targets for 249 yards. If this team is going to have any shot at winning some games, their cornerbacks will need to win some one-on-one battles. 

Carlos Hyde

This is more about volume than anything, as it appears the Jaguars are ready to use James Robinson as their primary running back. In week one, Hyde ran the ball a team-high nine times for 44 yards, looking fairly impressive and spry against the Texans' defensive front. But in week two, Hyde picked up only two carries for seven yards compared to James Robinson's 11 rushing attempts for 47 yards. Robinson also caught three passes in week two. So while it seemed the Jaguars were set on splitting reps between these two runners after week one, they're now trending heavily in James Robinson's direction. And who can blame them? Robinson is one of the most complete young backs in football. 

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