Where did Jags place in ESPN’s team speed rankings?

As soon as Urban Meyer was named the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach, fans assumed that he would emphasize speed on the team. And while that has somewhat been the case, the Jags aren’t as fast as fans (and probably the staff) would like.

Specifically, on offense, the team clearly could use some more speed at their skill positions. A large part of that is due to DJ Chark Jr. being declared out for the season this week, leaving the team without its most dangerous deep threat. The Jags also lost rookie running back Travis Etienne for the season in the preseason, who was expected to give the Jags explosion from several spots on the field.

The absence of both players is something ESPN’s recent rankings of team speed reflects as the Jags came in at the No. 18 spot largely due to ranking No. 26th offensively.

While the Jags’ offense is ascending and is a big reason for the team’s improvement, they are doing it without a lot of speed. When looking at their top weapon outside of the quarterback position, James Robinson, for example, he’s not known for his breakaway speed (aside from his early run against Tennessee Week 5).

Meanwhile, on defense, there are players like Shaquill Griffin (as mentioned above), Tyson Campbell (runs in the 4.4 40 time range), Myles Jack (a former running back), and Josh Allen (ran a 4.63 40-yard dash) on the unit. So, in other words, ESPN’s analysis on the defense makes sense, too.

Heading forward, it will be interesting to see what the Jags do to get faster. They’ve been piling up draft picks to maybe add some speed next April, but it also wouldn’t be shocking to see the Jags dip their hands into the trade market before the league’s Nov. 2 trade deadline.