The three players that must make an impact for the Jaguars this season
If you look at the Jacksonville Jaguars on paper, they look like a playoff team. During the season they do not play like one. Could the Jaguars be a playoff-team? Any team can be one, but they have to show up and compete consistently. There are three players on the Jaguars that can make a serious impact for this team but it needs to be this season.
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Blake Bortles – quarterback
I consider Bortles as the number one player on the Jags that needs to make the biggest splash for them in 2017. Eleven career wins in three seasons? He does not look like the future of Jacksonville. If he was to have an outstanding season, then he can be considered it.
In three years, Bortles has 11,241 passing yards, 69 touchdowns and 51 interceptions. There is major improvement that can be done to his game. If he fails to get the Jags to the playoffs or not win over five games, then his time in Jacksonville will be over.
Dante Fowler Jr. – defensive end
The third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft had a rough start to his career. He missed the entire 2015-2016 season due to a torn ACL. When he came back the following season, fans wanted Fowler to become the dominant defender that we all know he can be. He failed to deliver in 2016.
Last season he racked up 32 total tackles and four sacks. As a top three pick, the Jags were expecting him to comeback with aggression and anger for missing his first season. Fowler is still young and still learning, but it is go time for him and he will need to prove that he can live up to they hype that was given to him when he was drafted in 2015.
Leonard Fournette – running back
Why would Fournette be mentioned on this list? As the number four overall pick in this years’ draft, Fournette is expected to come in and make an impact. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot was in the same position last year and he turned out as one of the best running backs in the league if not the best.
There is no doubt that the Jags made the best choice to draft Fournette. At his size and the speed that he has, he can very well turn out to be a top running back this year. I’m not expecting him to be a superstar right from the start, but Fournette is expected to compete and bring the determination that he had in his days at LSU.
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