Four cents: Trevor for MVP? How about that Jaguars rookie class!

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – That is a wrap. The preseason is over! The Jaguars wrapped up the preseason with a big exclamation point. Doug Pederson used the third preseason game like a dress rehearsal for the team, with starters playing most of the first half. Outside of a rookie mistake from Tank Bigsby, Pederson should be pleased with what he saw from the team. I know I am. Here are my Four Cents.

Trevor for MVP? 🤩

There is a lot of hype around the Jaguars and some of the expectations for the team are definitely hyperbole, but this may not be. Sports betting isn’t legal in Florida, but if it was I’d probably like the line on Trevor Lawrence’s chances to win MVP. Think about some of the QB jumps we have seen over the last few years in the NFL. Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen both made stratosphere-type career jumps when they got a top-tier wide receiver. Insert Calvin Ridley. The Jaguars offense is stacked with talent. With this type of luxury, Pederson and Press Taylor will be able to dig in their bag of tricks and draw up dozens of personnel groups. That is a lot of defenses to prepare for and should put Lawrence and the Jaguars offense in the driver’s seat a lot this season. That means his numbers could be insane. I agree with former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano — 5,000 yards is a legit possibility.

Special draft class 🤩 🤩 🤩

Remember all those years of bad draft classes? That is the past. The Jaguars drafted 13 players and hit on way more than they missed. Anton Harrison is going to be really good. Antonio Johnson had a legit shot of starting games before his hamstring injury sidelined him. And “Tug Boat” Cooper Hodges! Don’t be surprised if he is the Jaguars starting guard in 2024. That is not even mentioning how good Brenton Strange and Tank Bigsby have been. Then Christian Braswell and Yasir Abdullah both had interceptions against the Dolphins. If the early receipts about this draft class hold, this is going to be a special group.

Starter to start the season 🤩

Nickel corner was one of the few starting jobs on the Jaguars roster that was up for grabs. Tre Herndon was the guy at the end of last year, and he is going to be the guy to start this year. The coaches have pushed competition but have also said every step of the way that they trust Herndon. When the Jaguars started playing against the Dolphins, no surprise, but Herndon was the guy that got the call. There was no switching, no flipping, no drama. No. 37 is a starter. He held off the competition from Gregory Junior. Herndon should feel pretty good at least until Antonio Johnson gets healthy. Then, he should start looking over his shoulder.

Tough decisions ✂️

Now is the tough part. The Jaguars have to trim their roster down to 53 players. There will be some tough decisions. No matter how you shake it, cut day is not fun. It can be the end of the road for some guys, while for others, it is just time for a fresh start. Nathan Rourke sparked the imagination of Jaguars fans during preseason. I don’t see him on the 53. We put out our roster projections earlier this week. There are a few guys I put on the 53 that I don’t feel as comfortable about right now. A couple of under-the-radar names that I think sneak on are Caleb Johnson, Tim Jones, Montaric Brown and maybe Willie Taylor.