Breakout Candidates for the 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars

By Liam Wirsansky on May 17, 2020

The 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars will look marginally different in terms of their player personnel from other Jaguars teams of the past. With a young and developing core of players and the loss of several key veterans during the offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars are hoping to see major growth out of their assembly of young and up-and-coming players, especially those who have flashed potential but have yet to put together a cohesive and strong season. New opportunities left by player departures and additional time to improve, as well as learn the playbook and nuances of the NFL, should yield improved seasons from these three breakout candidates for the 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Dawuane Smoot

A former 2017 third round pick of the Jaguars, DE Dawuane Smoot has progressively grown into a valuable rotational piece along the Defensive Line in his first three years in the NFL. Overcrowded and overshadowed at points in his career, Smoot found his ground this past season, notching a career-high 6.0 sacks, 12 tackles, and a fumble recovery as a backup to stars like Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Cambell. With the departure of the latter and the ongoing contract dispute involving the former, Dawaune Smoot has the opportunity to break into the starting lineup and build on the 412 Defensive snaps he played in last season, as he enters the final year of his contract. Expect Smoot to play with a chip on his shoulder, as he showcases talents that have been hidden and overlooked throughout his Jaguars career.

Jawaan Taylor

A projected first round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, many had the Jaguars slated to select Jawaan Taylor with their first round pick, but were fortunate enough for him to fall to the second round where he was selected as the 35th overall pick. Replacing Jeremy Parnell as the starting RT as a rookie, Jawaan Taylor played the most of any rookie on both sides of the ball last season, starting in all 16 games and playing all 1,091 snaps for the Jaguars’ offense in 2019. While Taylor did allow a total of 8 sacks to Jaguars quarterbacks during the 2019 season, only 2 of these came during the final 10 games of the season, while the front end of the Jaguars’ schedule was filled with pass rushing stars, such as J.J. Watt and Von Miller. The second year pro out of the University of Florida has identified the amount of penalties he accrued last season (15 for 120 yards), and has been vocal about improving this aspect of his game, focusing on film, technique, and strength in the weight room. Expect Taylor to build on an impressive rookie year, as he establishes himself on the right side of the Jaguars’ Offensive Line.

Taven Bryan

Remembered more by the fact that the Jaguars passed up on selecting Lamar Jackson with their first round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft than for his play on the field, Taven Bryan has faced a mountain of scrutiny since joining the Jaguars and an defensive line overcrowded with talent. Much like Smoot, Bryan has the opportunity to assert himself as a more vital piece of the defense with the Jaguars failing to pick up the contract option of DT Marcell Dareus and leaving the position largely unproven and undecided as the Defensive Tackle group features names like Abry Jones, Rodney Gunter, and rookie Davon Hamilton. After being forced to move to DE and out of his natural position his rookie year, Bryan failed to make a true impact on the field and transitioned back to the DT position this past season, logging his best season to date with 2 sacks, 12 tackles, and 1 forced fumble. Expect Bryan to assert himself into the starting lineup and build on the raw athleticism that convinced the Jaguars to draft him.

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The Jaguars spent high round draft picks on all of these players with the hope that they would develop into starter level contributors. The Jaguars roster remains with holes left by veterans and these players finally have the chance to build on their solid potential and put together breakout seasons for the 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars.

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