Injuries to Trevor Lawrence ruined back-to-back seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, there is still hope the team can turn it around by building the ideal pieces around him.
Drafting Brian Thomas Jr. was the first step in that direction. But improving the offense further has to be a priority for the Jaguars to maximize Lawrence’s potential. Some analysts believe adding a star wide receiver coming off of a down year could be the answer.
Jacksonville Jaguars Predicted To Go After Veteran Star Receiver
With Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby, they have a semi-reliable ground game already, and Thomas allowed them to support the 18th-ranked offense, per PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
But adding another piece to the puzzle could elevate them to their success from two seasons ago. And ESPN analyst Eric Moody believes the piece to go after is Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Wide receiver Chris Godwin signs with the Jaguars. The breakout of wide receiver Jalen McMillan and tight end Cade Otton makes Godwin expendable if the Buccaneers want to improve other areas of the team, especially given his injury history.”
Last season, too, was a similar case for the uber-talented Godwin. After three relatively injury-free campaigns, he was available for just seven games, tallying 576 yards and five touchdowns.
Moody concluded his prediction by drawing a connection to a familiar face for the wide receiver. “I could see Godwin joining his former offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, and playing alongside Brian Thomas Jr.”
With Godwin on the field, an explosive Tampa offense was borderline elite, totalling just a shade under 30 points on average. With BTJ taking on the Mike Evans role in Jacksonville, Godwin’s arrival could lead to similarly explosive result for the Jags.
It could also empower Lawrence, who finished last season 18th on PFSN’s QB+ metric, but has shown elite capabilities. Just two seasons ago, he orchestrated a 27-point second-half comeback in the Wild Card round, one of the biggest comebacks in NFL history.
Building out an elite offensive core around Lawrence and new head coach Liam Coen could be the recipe for the Jaguars to make a return to the postseason.