Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images ProFootballFocus does not appear to be fans of the Jaguars’ current receiving corps, ranking them in the bottom quarter of the league for 2024, per their ratings. We review where they may be right and where they’re likely wrong. Trevor Sikkema with ProFootballFocus (@PFF) recently released their 2024 NFL receiving corps rankings. And not to bury the lead, the numbers were not favorable for the Jacksonville Jaguars receiving corps. Here's what Sikkema had to say: 25. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Although they signed Gabe Davis, the Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley, which is likely a net negative. Rookie first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. could really raise the ceiling of this group, but asking him to be the team's top receiver in Year 1 is a tall order. Tight end Evan Engram led the team in receiving grade last year, but it was just a 73.2 mark. How the WRs stack up For context on how this conclusion may have been met, I looked at the individual 2023 ratings for the Jaguars’ receivers, hoping to make sense of this low group rating. Here are the current 2024 Jaguars’ pass catchers’ PFF receiving grades from 2023 compared to those no longer on the roster (in ascending order): Brian Thomas Jr: 75.1 *2023 college rating Evan Engram: 73.2 Christian Kirk: 72.7 Calvin Ridley: 72.2 (Tennessee Titans) Travis Etienne: 69.3 Gabe Davis: 68.7 Jamal Agnew: 62.5 (unsigned) Zay Jones: 61.5 (Arizona Cardinals) Devin Duvernay: 49.6 Improvement noted, but was it enough? Per the numbers, in a one-to-one comparison, it seems that the Jaguars, at worst, marginally improved at receiver this offseason and at best made multiple smaller improvements that could prove to be significant long term. With BTJ replacing Ridley and Davis replacing Zay, this would seem to be a net-positive for the core. Also, Duvernay would be at best the fifth or sixth receiving option, barring injuries (whereas Agnew ended up getting moderate offensive snaps in 2023 due to injuries). Nevertheless, none of the receivers having a rating over 76 can be a troublesome indicator, as explained in PFF’s “Quarterbacks who got the most help in 2023: The players aided by pass protection, receiving corps, scheme and more” article: RECEIVING CORPS: HIGHEST RECEIVING GRADES IN 2023 San Francisco 49ers: 91.0 Miami Dolphins: 85.7 Detroit Lions: 85.1 Houston Texans: 81.3 Dallas Cowboys: 81.2 The 49ers totaled four players who saw 100 or more targets in the regular season and playoffs. All four earned an 85.0-plus PFF receiving grade. Football 101: You obviously want receivers who will get open and make life easier on your quarterback. This isn’t to say that PFF grades are confirmation of “good” or “bad” play. However, they can be strong indicators on occasion, such as this. In looking at this list, the grades would seem to match up with the tape, at least in sorting the teams by general tiers. I would think even casual fans would agree with the majority of this top-five grouping. Where we disagee When looking forward to 2024, I would push back on this 25th ranking just slightly, as I’d argue that the Jaguars should fall within the 18 to 20 range. Without seeing things with teal-colored glasses, the Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and even the Atlanta Falcons could all easily be ranked lower than Jacksonville here. There even exists an (arguably biased) argument to be made to put them as high as 12 or 13 since they're including tight end performance. For the most part, each of the above teams essentially has just one guy (if that) who carries the ranking for the team. Whereas the Jaguars have a few high-floor, high upside options simultaneously (BTJ, Kirk, and Engram). Where we agree I do agree with Sikkema that asking Brian Thomas Jr to be the team’s top receiver in Year 1 would be a tall order, though I’m not so sure that he necessarily will need to be immediately. Brian Thomas Jr. on 20+ yard throws in 2023: 22 targets15 receptions670 yards12 TDs pic.twitter.com/j7c1nzVQ9E— PFF JAX Jaguars (@PFF_Jaguars) April 26, 2024 The team, however, would be wise to use the running back more in the passing game, as Travis Etienne forced 64 missed tackles on carries, which lead all running backs in the 2023 regular season. Sikkema doesn’t mention Etienne in his write-up, likely due to his PFF grade being 15th out of 61 qualifying running backs. It would seem extremely smart to get him the ball in space more often, as he had the 5th most missed tackles forced of all running backs as a receiver, while being tied at eighth for running back targets. Travis Etienne forced the MOST missed tackles (64) last year and was 4th in wins above average per PFF. He might be the most underrated RB in the NFL. #Jaguars #Duuuval #Jags pic.twitter.com/qRXeEnfcJp— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) June 19, 2024 I agree that the team doesn’t have that NFL-proven number one receiver to consistently get above an 80 rating and give teams fits yet. However, they do currently have enough guys in that 75 to 80 range to spread the ball around while being extremely effective. But that’s just this writer’s opinion. What say you, Duval? Where would you rank the team’s receiving core? A special thank you to Daniel Griffis with Jaguars on SI for the assist with the data! If you don't already, you definitely need to give him a follow on X/Twitter (@DanDGriffis).

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