Jaguars Mailbag: Has the Offensive Line Earned the Trust?

The Jaguars have put plenty of trust and confidence in the offensive line this offseason.

Nov 12, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws a pass with offensive lineman Brandon Scherff (68), offensive tackle Anton Harrison (77), and offensive lineman Cam Robinson (74) block San Francisco 49ers defense during the third quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports / Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the offseason, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

This week we take questions on Cooper Hodges, the offensive line, and more.

Q: Is Cooper Hodges the long-term answer at right guard?

A: I would give this a solid maybe. I do not know what would have happened if Cooper Hodges was healthy enough to be thrown into action last year. I do know he had a fantastic training camp and was far exceeding the expectations for a seventh-round pick. Let's see how he does in camp and the preseason this year, but we should probably not even revisit this question until he gets playing time in a regular-season game. If he has a good camp, he will set himself up with that potential opportunity.

Q: Has there been any whispers of Yannick Ngakoue returning this season? On paper that would seem like a slam dunk in terms of what the Jags need. Very worried at prospect of either Walker, or God forbid, Allen going down injured this season.

A: To the Jaguars' credit, they did take some runs at potential options in the veteran edge market before the season began, and even during it. It isn't necessarily their fault it didn't come together, and they eventually did reap the benefits to an extent when Josh Allen and Travon Walker established themselves as one of the best pass-rush duos in the NFL.

With that said, I do think the Jaguars are fairly self-aware and know how much trouble they would be in if the injury bug hit at the edge position. I do think the Jaguars will continue to market the veteran edge market. I am not sure if a deal happens, but they should be expected to at least explore it before Week 1. As for Yannick Ngakoue, I have not heard anything on that front. He would make a lot of sense, though.

Q: What’s the worst offseason move an AFCS team as made so far?

A: Tony Pollard's contract was certainly an eyebrow raiser to me, though it isn't like he signed for that much in the big picture. If I had to put my stamp on worst move, I would say the Texans' re-doing Stefon Diggs' deal. I liked the trade for him. I didn't think anything that happened after made much sense.

Q: Do we have a ETA when the throwbacks are being released?

A: It seems like this summer. June makes a lot of sense I think.

Q: Prediction on yards by Trevor and Yards by Thomas Jr?

A: I will go with 4,550 for Lawrence and 900 for Thomas Jr.

Q: How do you rate Tank Bigsby's chances of having a bounce back year?

A: I think it is fairly high simply for the reason that I think the Jaguars will give him a lot of oppurtunities early on. I am not sure how long the leash will be before the Jaguars give D'Ernest Johnson a look as well, but I do think Tank Bigsby opens the season with plenty of chances to prove his worth. Bigsby is a better player than his unlucky rookie year showed, but he will have to prove that.

Q: If Davon Hamilton is close to his 2022 self, how good is this defensive line going to be? Depth is less of an issue if he is back and ready.

A: It has the looks of a potential top-10 unit, at least on paper. Hamilton was trending upward in a big way when he got injured, so adding him to the mix of Josh Allen, Travon Walker, and Arik Armstead could be huge for the Jaguars' base defense. Roy Robertson-Harris and a top-50 pick in the room don't hurt either.

Q: With Hamilton finally looking healthy again, what does the DL rotation look like with the following all possibly deserving of snaps: Armsted, Hamilton, RRH, MSmith, JJefferson, TLacy

A: I think Armstead and Roy Robertson-Harris play the most snaps, while Hamilton is technically a "starter" at nose tackle. I think Maason Smith will see snaps behind Armstead and Robertson-Harris, while Jefferson backs up Hamilton. Lacy will have to battle Smith for snaps, which makes this a potentially close battle heading into camp.

Q: When should we expect your "Jaguars players as Sopranos characters!" article?

A: Take it easy, we aren't making a western here.

Q: Of Terrell Edmunds, Tre Flowers, Ty Summers, how many make the roster and which younger players do they supplant?

A: I could see Flowers make the roster just because the Jaguars need more veteran experience in the cornerback room. It could be tough for Terrell Edmunds considering some of the depth the Jaguars have at safety. I could see Ty Summers having a chance if they go heavy on linebackers due to the new kickoff rules, however.

Q: Who is your pick for surprise starter on D ?

A: I am not sure there is one? Maybe Chad Muma in certain three-linebacker sets? Maybe Antonio Johnson, whether in the slot or at safety? I don't think there are many starting roles up for grabs outside of the nickel cornerback position, though Jarrian Jones could have a chance to start the campaign thanks to his third-round pedigree.

Q: Between Gabe and BTJ, how much more vertical do you anticipate the offense being and how many targets do you think they get compared to Kirk and Engram? A 60/40 split?

A: I think the Jaguars will certainly push the ball downfield this year. I think that is a big reason they want to get the running game going; they believe it can help set up explosive passing plays downfield, especially on play-action shot plays. With that said, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram have significantly more chemistry and expereince with Trevor Lawrence. I think those are the two he will lean on.

Q: So much focus on defense this off season… how deserving is the OL of Doug’s and Trent’s confidence?

A: This is a fair question. Outside of Mitch Morse, there aren't many new faces along the offensive line. Javon Foster was a fourth-round pick, but he seems more like a long-term selection than one for 2024. The Jaguars are seemingly hoping that a healthier offensive line that isn't changing its lineup week in and week out will lead to natural improvement. If they are wrong this time, it will be hard to believe them about the line again.