WHAT ARE THE JAGUARS' FIVE BIGGEST NEEDS?

Tre Herndon (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)

The Jaguars have plenty of roster holes to fill this offseason. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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Cornerback

The Jaguars currently have Tre Herndon, DJ Hayden, Parry Nickerson, and Brandon Watson on their roster at cornerback. That's it. Herndon and Hayden project to start on the outside and in the slot, respectively, but that still leaves a massive hole at the other outside cornerback position. Bouye locked it down for the Jaguars from 2017-2019, but he's now on his way to Denver. The Jaguars have to find another starting cornerback, ideally someone who can play press-man and has the chops to cover the opposing team's best receiver. They could also use some depth on the backend. Signing one of the top free-agent corners and/or picking one up in the first or second round is a necessity. 

Defensive Tackle

Marcell Dareus is no longer on the roster. Abry Jones, Taven Bryan, Akeem Spence, Dontavius Russell, Carl Davis, Brian Price, are the defensive tackles currently employed by the Jaguars. Of those players, Abry Jones and Taven Bryan would likely start if the Jaguars had to suit up today. That's not going to get it done this fall. After selecting him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Jags are still in on Taven Bryan. He played well to close the season in 2019 and will almost assuredly be the starting three-tech in 2020. But is Abry Jones good enough to be the run-stuffing nose tackle that the Jaguars need in Todd Wash's defense? Recent results would suggest that the answer is no. Bringing Marcell Dareus back into the fold is my preferred route, but adding a talented defensive tackle early in the draft shouldn't be off the table, even if Dareus does return. 

Right Guard

AJ Cann simply isn't a starting-caliber guard. During his first two years in the league, Cann showed plenty of promise. But he's been the weakest link on the Jaguars' offensive line for two years now. The argument could be made that every other starter on the Jaguars' O-Line would start for other teams across the league. I don't think it'd be fair to say that about AJ Cann. Will Richardson also saw time at right guard for the Jaguars in 2019, but he wasn't much of an upgrade. Finding an above-average starter at right guard would do wonders for the Jaguars' offense. 

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Tight End

The Jaguars have two decent options at tight end on their roster right now. James O'Shaughnessy was having a career year before hitting the IR in 2019. Josh Oliver missed almost his entire rookie season due to injury. Both of those players at least have the skill to be solid contributors. But neither of them should enter the season as a starter. There are a few free-agent tight ends that would come in and be able to help in a variety of ways from the get-go. 

Linebacker

The Jaguars' linebackers struggled to fill rushing lanes and finish off runners in 2019. The primary culprit was Quincy Williams, but he was a rookie weakside linebacker that was making the switch from safety in college. He could certainly develop into a worthy starter — his athleticism, range, and big-hitting ability were all evident during his rookie year. Still, the Jaguars would do well to add a linebacker whose primary function is stopping the run. 

BONUS: 

Adding another wide receiver to play opposite DJ Chark would also be a big win for the Jaguars this offseason. It's not necessarily one of the biggest NEEDS for the Jaguars, because Chris Conley and Dede Westbrook are fine. BUT I would contend that the addition of a legit starting-caliber wideout would open up the Jaguars' offense more than an upgrade at any other position. 

Some might argue for investing in a  starting left tackle, but Cam Robinson deserves one more year to prove that he's a starter. Judging Robinson based off 2019 isn't exactly fair — he was coming back from an ACL injury. Still, I wouldn't argue with adding a left tackle that could compete with Robinson down the road. Several tackles fit the mold that could be available in the second or third round of the upcoming draft. 

Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis. ​