23. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Notable additions: N/A
- Notable losses: EDGE Arden Key
- 2022 scoring defense: 12th
- 2022 yards defense: 24th
With all due respect, do not let the numbers fool you. There are two big factors at play here.
First of all, the Jaguars were startlingly healthy in 2022:
NFL 2022 regular season injury plot. Games missed to injuries and health protocols versus team wins. Bubble size represents cumulative quality of players lost for games (Lost-av metric) https://t.co/HBPgJxYIPz pic.twitter.com/oBHD5oQubB
— Man Games Lost NFL (@ManGamesLostNFL) January 12, 2023
Secondly, their three divisional opponents each had bottom-five offenses last season. In divisional matchups, the Jaguars’ defense gave up only 14.7 points per game. Against non-divisional opponents, that number ballooned to 23.82 points per game, which would have ranked 25th in the NFL.
The Jaguars have the potential to improve this season through internal development. They have young players with upside, including edge rusher Travon Walker and safety Andre Cisco.
Edge rusher Arden Key is a key loss, though. In a limited role, he produced 4.5 sacks and 20 pressures.