Jacksonville Jaguars DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be without last year's top wideout Calvin Ridley in 2024, but the former No. 1 overall pick believes he has a strong group of pass-catchers to work with. "We have a really dynamic group of pass catchers," Lawrence said, "We have some great tight ends. You talk about Evan (Engram), obviously, had a great year last year. He's really great with the ball in his hands. He does a lot of things to help us -- a good blocker too." He also shouted out second-year tight end Brenton Strange and wide receivers Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, Devin Duvernay, and Brian Thomas Jr. While Ridley's departure leaves room for more uncertainty, the team could have an underrated skill group if Thomas and Davis exceed expectations in Duval County. Lawrence is generally drafted around the QB16 spot in preseason drafts, and he has enough upside to finish as a low-end QB1 in his fourth NFL campaign.

Working in Los Angeles Rams tight end Hunter Long's favor is the fact that Tyler Higbee (knee) probably isn't going to be ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. That lone could land Long a spot on the 53-man roster to open the year if Higbee starts on the Physically Unable to Perform list. However, the Rams added Colby Parkinson in the offseason and love the potential of Davis Allen. If one of Nikola Kalinic or Neal Johnson emerges in training camp and the preseason, Long could be out of a roster spot. The 25-year-old finished last year on Injured Reserve after having surgery on his MCL but he was taking part in organized team activities this offseason and should be ready to go this fall. In just four games played in 2023, Long wasn't targeted at all while playing 54 offensive snaps for the Rams.

The best and perhaps most direct way for Kansas City Chiefs running back Louis Rees-Zammit, a speedster and former rugby star, to earn a spot on the initial roster is by excelling as a kickoff returner. However, he will also compete with Deneric Prince and Keaontay Ingram for the third RB spot on the depth chart this summer in training camp. "He's done above and beyond what I've expected," special teams coordinator Dave Toub said of Rees-Zammit in late May. The 23-year-old's chances of making the Chiefs roster are aided by new rules allowing an extra 17th practice-squad spot during the regular season for international players. It will be interesting to see how offensive mastermind and head coach Andy Reid utilizes Rees-Zammit, but expecting the former Welsh rugby star to make an immediate impact in fantasy would be foolish.

Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Jerry Mack has seen some improvement from second-year back Tank Bigsby this offseason after a disappointing rookie campaign in 2023. "I think now things are starting to slow down for him. He understands his role in this offense. He's understanding the ins and outs of the offense a lot better as well," Mack said. Bigsby had only 132 yards and two touchdowns on 50 carries in 2023 behind bell-cow Travis Etienne Jr. The 22-year-old lost some confidence during his tough rookie season, but Mack says Bigsby came in this offseason "with a revitalized type of attitude." The Jaguars continue to say they want to get Bigsby more involved on offense this year, too, as a way to lighten the load on Etienne. Even if Bigsby sees more touches in his sophomore season, he's going to need to improve his 2.6 yard-per-carry average to be more than just a deep-league handcuff to Etienne.

SI.com's John Shipley writes that Jacksonville Jaguars second-year running back Tank Bigsby had some issues with drops during offseason workouts and didn't have the standout offseason program that he had last year. The Jaguars have done nothing but insinuate that Bigsby will have a bigger role in the backfield in 2024 as they look to give lead back Travis Etienne Jr. more of a break, but nothing is guaranteed as training camp approaches. It's not like Bigsby really impressed in his rookie year, either, as he carried the ball only 50 times for 132 yards (2.6 yards per carry) and two touchdowns, adding only one reception for a six-yard gain in 17 games played. Still, Bigsby should have more of a role in his second year in the NFL, although it remains to be seen if it will be enough to give him standalone fantasy value in 2024.