Five most valuable people for Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024

After a hot start in 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars imploded down the stretch, missing out on the playoffs. If they're to bounce back in 2024, the same group that dropped the ball last season will have to respond.

Here are the five most valuable Jaguars for 2024.

5. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun

The six-year veteran enters 2024 as perhaps one of the more underrated defensive players in the NFL. The quarterback of the Jaguars' unit, Oluokun, makes up half of one of the best pass-rushing duos in the league alongside Josh Allen.

Last season, Oluokun led the league in solo tackles for the second straight year. He also finished eighth in QB hurries (11) and third in QB hits (7).

A vital part of the team, the Jaguars will need Oluokun to produce again this fall as they hope to turn around a defense that ranked 22nd last season.

4. Running back Travis Etienne

Etienne saw increased usage last season, but that came with a noticeable drop in his yards per carry (5.1 to 3.8). The former Clemson star still found the end zone 11 times while eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark (1,008) for the second consecutive year.

Etienne also became more involved in the passing game during the past campaign, recording 58 catches for 476 yards (8.2 YPC) and a touchdown.

Should the Jaguars offense realize its potential on paper, Etienne will almost certainly be one of the ring leaders.

3. Wide receiver Christian Kirk

The Jaguars upgraded at wideout (Gabe Davis, Brian Thomas Jr.), but Kirk may still be essential to the offense's success.

Before injury ended Kirk's 2023 season prematurely after 12 weeks, he was on pace to record a career-high in yards-per-game (65.6) and had already posted the third-most receiving yards (787) of his six-year NFL stint.

After Kirk was sidelined, Jacksonville went 1-4. The passing game also suffered. In 12 starts with Kirk active, Trevor Lawrence completed 67.9% of his passes, tossing 14 touchdowns against seven picks to go with a 94.4 passer rating. In four starts without Kirk, though, Lawrence completed just 60% of his passes, throwing seven touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 74.1 passer rating.

2. Defensive lineman Josh Hines-Allen

In 2023, Hines-Allen made a run at Defensive Player of the Year honors after finishing second in the league in sacks with a career-high 17.5. After taking the quarterback down more times last season than his three previous combined, the two-time Pro Bowler has emerged as one of the top pass-rushers in the NFL.

With Travon Walker on the opposite side and a new addition up the middle in veteran Arik Armstead, Hines-Allen has solid reinforcements beside him. However, success for the Jaguars' defense likely begins and ends with how he performs, something backed up by the hefty extension (five years, $141.2 million) in April.

1. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence

As is the case with most teams, the quarterback is king. That's certainly true of Lawrence, who is looking for a bounce-back year after regressing a bit last season.

The 24-year-old struggled at times during the 2023 campaign, especially toward the end. Lawrence lost each of his final five starts, averaging 254 yards with nine touchdowns, seven interceptions and an 81.8 passer rating as the Jaguars missed out on the postseason, finishing 9-8.

Despite these wobbles, the Jaguars showed their belief in Lawrence by signing him to a five-year, $275 million ($142 million guaranteed) extension in June. The fourth-year pro seems confident he'll rebound in 2024, saying recently that with him at the helm, the Jaguars' " best days are definitely ahead ."