5 Biggest Questions Facing Jaguars After Minicamp

With training camp over a month away, what major questions are looming in Jacksonville?

For the next month, the Jacksonville Jaguars will sit and wait. Because once training camp rolls around, there is no stopping. 

This is true for all 32 teams, but especially true for a young and hungry Jaguars team that is looking to improve upon last year's successful season, which ended in an AFC South title, a 9-8 record, and a Wild Card win over the Los Angeles Chargers. 

The first steps toward that improvement were offseason practices, with the Jaguars holding over 10 organized team activities and minicamp practices to prepare for the fall.

"It was just refining everything. It's just a matter of taking what we did during the season and just trying to make it better," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said. 

"The offseason is the time to, a little bit, be creative with stuff and seeing how guys, integrating the new guys, whether they're free agents or draft picks, undrafted guys, onto the team. And just a matter of just sort of refining everything is kind of what you get out of this season."

So with the offseason officially wrapped up, what questions are still facing the Jaguars before a critical training camp? We break it down below. 

Will there be a resolution with Evan Engram's contract? 

There is a little under a month for the Jaguars to come to terms with tight end Evan Engram on a long-term deal. Teams and franchise players can sign multi-year extensions until July 17 (the typical deadline is July 15 unless on a weekend; because July 15 is on a Saturday this year, the deadline is the following Monday). If the Jaguars and Engram don't agree to an extension by then, the veteran tight end will have to play on a one-year deal for the second year in a row. 

The big question for the Jaguars is how they can balance a potential Engram extension with other future potential moves they have on the docket. Calvin Ridley and Josh Allen are also set to be free agents in March and would require significant contracts to keep them on the roster, while members of the 2021 class will be eligible to sign extensions with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, cornerback Tyson Campbell, running back Travis Etienne, safety Andre Cisco, and offensive tackle Walker Little.

Where will the pass-rush come from?

The Jaguars had a solid pass-rush last year in terms of generating pressure, but the Jaguars struggled to consistently bring down the quarterback. And a year after the Jaguars finished No. 26 in sacks and failed to sack an injured Patrick Mahomes once in their AFC Divisional Round loss, the Jaguars' pass rush has lost two of its most efficient rushers in Arden Key and Dawuane Smoot. 

The Jaguars are returning top pass-rusher Josh Allen, but 2022 No. 1 pick Travon Walker will have to take a considerable leap to improve from a rookie season in which his pass-rush output was marginal. Behind them, the Jaguars have some question marks. Former 2020 first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson has three sacks in three seasons, while third-year outside linebacker Jordan Smith and fifth-round rookie Yasir Abdullah have a lot to prove. It feels unlikely that the Jaguars will add a veteran pass-rusher at this stage, so they will need a young room to take a big leap in 2023. 

Can the 2022 draft class take the same leap that the 2021 group did? 

Speaking of leaps, the Jaguars are going to need a massive one from their 2022 draft class. Last year's rookie group looked, well, like rookies. Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd, and Chad Muma all had flashes here and there but none of the three were consistent performers, with Lloyd running into a rookie wall and being benched for Muma toward the end of the season. Then there is center Luke Fortner, who started all 19 games but struggled as a run-blocker. 

The good news is that the 2021 class had similar struggles and lulls before developing into a class filled with building blocks in 2022. Trevor Lawrence and Tyson Campbell turned uneven rookie years into breakout campaigns, while Walker Little, Andre Cisco, and Travis Etienne all played huge roles in the Jaguars' run to the playoffs. For the Jaguars to have the successful season they envision, they will need last year's rookies to develop at a similar pace. 

What will the offensive line look like? 

The Jaguars' offensive line is lacking a good it of clarity at this point in the offseason. The Jaguars know who their starts at center and right guard will be with Luke Fortner and Brandon Scherff, but the other three spots are all up for discussion due to circumstances. 

For the left guard position, the Jaguars will have to see if Ben Bartch can recover from his season-ending knee injury in 2022 to beat out veteran guard Tyler Shatley, who has earned a lot of praise and respect from the Jaguars' staff for his play at guard last year. Then there are the tackle spots. 

We know who the Jaguars will start at the tackle positions in Week 1, with Walker Little manning the left tackle position and No. 27 pick Anton Harrison at right tackle. The question is how the Jaguars will shuffle the deck when veteran left tackle Cam Robinson returns from a potential suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. There is still no answer as to how many games Robinson might miss, but the most likely scenario is that he returns to the left tackle role following his potential suspension, with Harrison staying at right tackle and Little potentially sliding inside to left guard. 

Can any rookies not named Anton Harrison make an instant impact? 

It is tough for any team to bank on rookies making instant impacts. While there are always a handful of rookies each year who burst onto the scene and prove to be playmakers from Day 1, this is the exception and not the norm. This will be especially true for a deep Jaguars team in 2023, with only one rookie (Anton Harrison) projected to open the year as a starter. 

That leaves the question of just how much the Jaguars can get from the rest of their rookie class in 2023. Can Brenton Strange develop at a faster pace than other rookie tight ends and be more than just a blocker? Can Tank Bigsby solve the Jaguars' short-yardage woes? And can any of their Day 3 defenders carve out a role?