Going into his third year in the NFL, Blake Bortles will be ready to face the pressure of striving for the playoffs.
Many analysts are picking the Jaguars as a trendy playoff team, and with good reason. Last season, the Jags scored the 14th-most points in the league, and they are looking to add to this ranking in the upcoming season.
Related Story: Don't Doubt Cam Newton
At quarterback, they will have a primed playmaker ready to make the leap into the ranks of superstardom. In the 2015 campaign, Blake Bortles threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns. However, the downfall of Bortles was his 18 interceptions thrown, which led the league.
Some may see this statistic and declare that Bortles still has plenty to learn in the NFL and is still simply not ready to take his team to the next level. Others, like myself, will look at the fact that Bortles has been sacked more times than any other quarterback while in his short tenure in the NFL. Having been dropped a combined 106 times in the past two seasons, it is easy to make out that Bortles has rarely had time to throw and is often under constant pressure.
If Jacksonville is able to finally protect their former third overall pick this season, Bortles may be able to throw for a completion percentage higher than 60 percent, making it increasingly likely that he will throw for at least 4,500 yards to his many weapons.
The key to Bortles success not only rests in his offensive line, but also his two proven receivers in Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Last season, both receivers caught fire and were able to record at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. The duo also averaged at least 16.1 yards per reception, meaning the team needs a viable receiver to emerge as an underneath threat. The team is hopeful Marquise Lee can fill this void by finally putting forth a fully healthy campaign after being derailed by injuries in the past two seasons.
The team also signed Chris Ivory this past offseason in the expectation of boosting their rushing attack that ranked 27th in the NFL. Jacksonville believes that Ivory can help being a change-of-pace running back opposite of T.J. Yeldon. Yeldon is the projected starter who had a decent rookie year, averaging 4.1 yards per carry and having over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Ivory will be 28 years old and is coming off of his best professional season while on the New York Jets.
Jacksonville is betting on the prospects that their young guns will continue to improve and succeed. If they can shore up a few holes offensively and help protect their quarterback a little more, they may have an argument. Do not be surprised if by the end of the 2016 season, the Jaguars are right in the thick of the playoff hunt.