The 4 Jaguars that need to improve the most in 2017

5/9/2017

The Jaguars struggled greatly in 2016. There are a number of players that must play better in 2017, but these 4 need to improve the most.

By Jordan de Lugo

1. Blake Bortles - This one is so obviously obvious it's painful, but it's true. Blake Bortles needs to be better in 2017 than he was in 2016. Bortles has yet to eclipse the 60% completion mark in his three year career and has thrown at least 16 interceptions in every season since he joined the Jaguars in 2014. Bortles doesn't need to become Tom Brady or even Matt Ryan - No, what he needs to do in 2016 is get the completion percentage up and not turn the ball over so much via boneheaded decisions. He needs to read defenses better. He needs his mechanics to not fall apart in 2017. He needs his offensive line to protect him. He needs the run game to improve. He needs his receivers to catch the ball when they get their hands on it. He needs to have better ball security when carrying the ball himself(he lost 8 fumbles in 2016). Yeah, that's a lot of needs, but if the Jaguars can run the ball effectively it will greatly help Bortles and in turn the rest of the squad in 2017. Ideally Bortles would throw the ball less than 30 times a game on average. If he can have a season with around 20 TDs and less than 13 turnovers the Jaguars will be in great shape.

2. Myles Jack - No, this is not an indictment of Myles Jack. In fact this is more of a criticism of the Jaguars defensive coaching staff in 2016. For a guy that would have been a top ten pick but for an injury Jack rarely saw the field in 2016. Sure, he was the "starter" at OTTO for the team at the end of the season, but that role saw him get in between 15-30 snaps per game. Now, in 2016 he'll need to be the leader of the defense from the mental side. He's transitioning to middle linebacker where he'll be responsible for calling plays and making adjustments as he sees fit. This had been Paul Posluszny's responsibility since 2011, but the "Poz" is switching to strong side linebacker and allowing the younger and more athletic Myles Jack take over in the middle. Jack will have a world of responsibility on his shoulders this year and if he is able to step in and not skip a beat in terms of the mental side of the game then this Jaguars defense could be far more daunting for the opposing offenses moving forward.

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3. AJ Cann - This one ties in directly with the first one. AJ Cann had a highly disappointing sophomore campaign for the Jaguars in 2016. He certainly didn't improve - many, including myself, believe that he regressed as a player in 2016. If he can be serviceable against interior defensive lineman in passing situations and become a more physical presence in the run game it will go a long way towards helping Leonard Fournette live up to his potential, which will in turn help Blake Bortles. Cann flashed the ability as a rookie, but for whatever reason it didn't come together for him last season. This year could be make or break for the guard from South Carolina. The rest of the Jaguars interior offensive line has Brandon Linder at center and most likely Cam Robinson at left guard. If Cann plays well it could become one of the better interior offensive lines in football.

4. Dante Fowler Jr. - Dante has had a . . . slow start to his NFL career. By no fault of his own he fell victim to a non contact ACL tear and missed his entire first season. When his health returned in 2016 he was playing catch up and never really hit his stride. Still though, he flashed the ability that made him a top five pick in 2015. His production was greatly lacking, but that should be no surprise for a rookie coming off of an ACL injury. If Fowler can put together a couple of different pass rush moves and begin to understand the nuances of the game he can easily vault from a guy who had limited production in 2016 to a player that flirts with double digit sacks, especially with the added help of Calais Campbell and Dawuane Smoot on the other side.

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