Jacksonville Jaguars: 3 breakout candidates for the 2019 season

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Fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars should be excited about the potential these three players who are due to breakout in 2019.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be going into the 2019 season without a ton of expectations after last season’s disappointment. They followed up their AFC Championship game appearance back in 2017 with a disappointing 5-11 season. This led to the Jags finally ending their long relationship with Blake Bortles and replacing him with Super Bowl LII MVP, Nick Foles.

With a brand new offensive identity and the defense expected to remain amongst the NFL’s best, there is still a lot to be optimistic about if you are a Jacksonville fan.

One of those reasons for optimism is the fact there are several young players that are primed for potentially big roles going forward. Here are three Jacksonville Jaguars who are ready to break out in 2019.

3. DJ Chark, WR

It was a tough rookie season for DJ Chark in 2018, as he was not able to make much of an impact in his limited opportunities. He had four drops on just 32 targets and missed five games down the final stretch of the year due to injury.

His best contribution came as a gunner on special teams but the Jags will be expecting more than that from the 2018 second round pick going into his sophomore season. The good news for Chark is that there is only one direction to go and reports about his performance in OTA’s should have Jags fans ears perked up a little bit.

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He reportedly has been a go-to receiver for QB Nick Foles as the two have shown solid chemistry early in workouts. Foles was not shy throwing the deep ball during his time in Philly and he rewarded guys who could get open downfield.

DJ Chark is a guy that can do exactly that and that’s precisely why the Jacksonville Jaguars took him so high just a year ago. He’s the fastest receiver on their roster and it was expected that he would be the guy to peel the top off of the defense.

He certainly hopes to be able to meet those expectations this season as he appears to have a more focused approach. He told Jags beat writer Daniel Popper that he wants to be counted on when he’s on the field and that can only happen if he shows consistency as a pass catcher.

Jaguars wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell seems to be a believer that Chark can take the next step as he has taken notice of his matured preparation during practices. He told reporters “I’ve seen him grow as a football player,” before discussing things slowing down for him after the “tornado” that is a player’s first year in the league.

Dede Westbrook took the reigns as the Jaguars go-to pass catcher in 2018 but anything could happen with a new offense and signal caller going into the new season. If Chark can continue to impress and strengthen his trust with Foles, he could surprise a lot of people with his impact in 2019.

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