Fan Friday: Answering your questions about the Jaguars ahead of Week 12 vs. Ravens

With the bye week in the rearview mirror, the Jaguars are ready to get back on the winning side of things against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

During the team's open locker room Monday, it was clear the idea of getting on a hot streak and potentially making the playoffs was still on the mind of the refreshed Jaguars players.

That will be a difficult road to go down, but it isn't surprising given the makeup of this year's team and their resilience.

More Jaguars coverage:

• Will he get in?: Fred Taylor among 28 semifinalists for Pro Football HOF Class of 2023

• More Muma?: Jaguars rookie LB Chad Muma feels 'ready' for an increased role on defense

• Great expectations: What are the expectations for the Jaguars' final seven games coming out of the bye week?

Note: To submit questions, stay tuned to my Twitter page at @Demetrius82 or email me directly at dsharvey@gannett.com.

Tim from Ponte Vedra

Question: The Jaguars’ defense generally seems to do pretty well against the run but is at the bottom of the league against the pass. I don’t think this is all the secondary’s fault. We don’t put enough pressure on opposing QBs.

Should the Jaguars consider switching back to a 4-3 base defense? Do you think our current personnel could be more suited to this approach?

Demetrius: Hi Tim. I do not necessarily think switching the entire scheme is realistic or something that needs to happen. Jacksonville has the right personnel for a 3-4 defense, but I do believe they can stand to utilize players better. Travon Walker, for example, could be used inside more to take advantage of his length and power.

Rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd could be used as a pass rusher more often, something he excelled at in college at Utah. Little things like that can go a long way.

Jon Bedwell from Orlando, Fla.

Q: How much should we care about draft position at this point in the season with our record?

D: Hi Jon, thanks for the question. Well, if the season ended today, the Jaguars would be picking ninth in the 2023 NFL Draft. Still, there are seven games to go. It's far too early to talk about the draft in a final sense.

Just to give some more context, including Jacksonville, there are eight total teams with just three wins. If you expand that to just one more win (four), there are 13 teams, including Indianapolis, which has a tie. The Jaguars have time to raise their draft status or lower it. At this point, the draft position is far too fluid to care that much about it.

Daniel from Califonia

Q: What defensive player would you most like to see take a big step forward heading toward next season?

D: This might sound like a cop-out answer, but I think outside linebacker Josh Allen is the one player that you want to see more out of. While he ranks high in pressures this season, he has just 3.0 sacks through 10 games. For a player that was selected seventh overall just a few seasons ago, his production needs to improve.

Dan from Los Angeles

Q: Any chances of our players getting to the Pro Bowl? (I would guess maybe Travis Etienne and Tyson Campbell)?

D: This may sound like a mean (for lack of a better term) answer, but I believe Jaguars punter Logan Cooke should have the best chance at making the Pro Bowl this year. He is one of the most consistent punters in the league and currently ranks fourth in the league in yards per punt at 49.7.

He ranks 11th in net punts at 43 net yards per punt. That takes into account Jacksonville's coverage unit as well. Though he's not by far the best punter in that metric, he should have more of a shot than many players on the team.

Etienne is another player that could earn quite a few votes based on his production with 927 yards from scrimmage this year. That ranks 11th among all backs in the league this year. His 725 rushing yards rank 10th and his 5.5 yards per carry average ranks second among backs.

Nate from Duval

Q: In terms of 2023, what do you think the Jags' thoughts are on Evan Engram?

D: The Jaguars signed tight end Evan Engram to a one-year deal in free agency earlier this year. The team wanted to sign the veteran TE to a multi-year deal, but Engram opted for a one-year contract. Thus far, he's accounted for 36 catches for 352 yards and a touchdown.

I wanted to provide a bit of context prior to answering your question. The short answer is, I believe the Jaguars will want to re-up Engram after the year given that his production is pretty solid given his catch rate of 70.6 percent — that is, he's been targeted 51 times and has caught 36 of those passes.

The team will be in major need of a TE with Dan Arnold also on the final year of his deal. Engram shouldn't be overly expensive, and if he comes at a team-friendly number, I would be surprised if Jacksonville passed.

Ben from New Zealand

Q: With the season fast being a write-off, do you see anyone being given game time for next season that isn't seeing it now?

D: Hi Ben, thanks for writing in! This is a great question and I actually wrote about one player that could see an increased workload very soon — perhaps during the game against the Ravens. Linebacker Chad Muma is in line for more work.

The Jaguars have also played fellow rookie cornerback Buster Brown. He would likely be in line for more time. As the season continues, I wouldn't be surprised to see receiver Tim Jones get some work, but for now, I don't think there are many other possibilities on the roster barring injury.

Forrest Parker from Washington D.C.

Q: Does the Jags' defense matchup well against the Ravens' rushing attack? Can the Jags contain Lamar?

D: It's an interesting question. The simple answer is that no, no team has a really great matchup against the Ravens. They rank second in the league in rushing yards per game (162.8) and that's thanks primarily to quarterback Lamar Jackson, who currently has 666 yards on the ground rushing at a league-high 6.9 yards per carry.

Now, as far as the Jaguars are concerned, they really haven't had to deal with running QBs much this year. They allowed Giants QB Daniel Jones to rush for 107 yards, but other than that they allowed 38 yards to Eagles QB Jalen Hurts.

Jacksonville ranks 10th in the league in rushing yards allowed (110.1 YPG). Now, that doesn't mean that the Ravens or Jackson will be non-factors, but it does show how well the defense can play when at its best.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars fan mailbag ahead of Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens