As training camps start to slowly get underway, now is a good time to examine which players on each NFL team are the “faces of the franchise.” Basically, we are taking a look at three current players from each team that encapsulate the franchise as a whole.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were an interesting team to do for this exercise. Their ill-defined future has left them without many true faces, as they traded away multiple staples of the team, including Calais Campbell, AJ Bouye and Jalen Ramsey. Now, there is a youth movement in Jacksonville, as all three players on this list are age 24 or younger.
Faces of the 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars
Gardner Minshew
Minshew came into Jacksonville as an unknown sixth-round pick. In a short time, he became the most interesting player in the NFL. Minshew Mania took the league by the storm during the first half of the 2019 season, as stories continued to add to the legend of the mustache. From stretching naked in the locker room to trying to break his hand with a hammer, the lore of Gardner Minshew only added to his stellar rookie campaign. Starting in place of the injured Nick Foles, Minshew set the NFL record for completion percentage in a debut (88 percent), broke numerous franchise records and won Pepsi Rookie of the Week seven times. He finished 2019 with 21 touchdowns to just six interceptions. While there are still skeptics out there who are concerned with Minshew’s fumbling issues and arm strength, he has more than proven he’s worthy of a spot on this list. If he can prove he’s the Jaguars long-term answer at quarterback in 2020, then he will be on this list for a long time.
Josh Allen
As Jacksonville’s first-round pick in 2019, Josh Allen wreaked havoc on opposing backfields. He finished the year with 23 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and 10.5 sacks, receiving an invitation to the Pro Bowl in the process. A candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, he lost to Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers despite having more takedowns and forced fumbles and only one less tackle. Allen will lead a young Jaguars defense into 2020 after the team shipped veteran Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens. As the face of the defense, Allen is clearly one of the faces of the franchise.
DJ Chark
Chark was the biggest surprise in Duval not named Minshew. After a rookie year plagued by injury and poor performance, Chark lived up to his second-round draft pedigree. He became the first Jaguars receiver to eclipse 1,000 yards since Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns both did it in 2015. He finished 2019 with 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns on 73 catches, earning a spot as an alternate at the Pro Bowl. Chark provides an explosive presence on the outside that the Jaguars have lacked since Jimmy Smith in the franchise’s first years of existence. If he can continue to develop, Chark won’t only be one of the leaders of the Jaguars but could become one of the premier names of the wide receiver position as a whole.
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