The Jacksonville Jaguars could use upgrades at a position or two, but their roster isn't nearly as depleted as that of the Indianapolis Colts, especially after suffering injuries at cornerback.
Just weeks after losing Jaylon Jones, Indy has also placed third-round selection Justin Walley on Injured Reserve, effectively ending his rookie season before it started.
Sure, the Colts still have free-agent acquisition Charvarius Ward, but he alone cannot hold the fort in their defensive back end. And while it's never good to see players get hurt, this is a matchup the Jags must exploit.
On a related note, when the Colts announced that they placed Walley on IR, they also released former Jaguars cornerback Tre Herndon, who had landed in Indianapolis not too long ago.
Losing Jaylon Jones and Justin Walley are big blows to the Colts
All eyes have been on Anthony Richardson and the Colts' competition at quarterback, but cornerback could turn out to be a bigger area of concern for them next season.
Their secondary wasn't that good in 2024 to begin with. They finished 26th in passing yards surrendered and 19th in passing touchdowns allowed. Those aren't necessarily dreadful numbers, but Indianapolis signed Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum to bolster their backfield. The issue is that the additions won't have nearly as much of an impact following the injuries to Jaylon Jones and rookie Justin Walley.
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Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter will help the Jaguars take advantage of the matchup
The Jaguars bolstered their wide receiver corps in the offseason. They already had budding star Brian Thomas Jr., who took the league by storm as a rookie, in the fold. However, they knew they needed to get Travor Lawrence more weapons, so they signed Dyami Brown in free agency and later drafted Travis Hunter.
Beyond their top three receivers, Jacksonville has slot receiver Parker Washington and tight end Brenton Strange. Both of them will find favorable matchups in underneath routes if/when Thomas and Brown get deep.
Circling back to the Colts, they simply don't have the players to slow down the Jags' passing game, and that could potentially put them at a disadvantage when they face them in the regular season.
Granted, divisional bouts are always tough, with teams routinely taking things to the wire. That said, the Jaguars will have an edge when they face Indianapolis this upcoming season, and they cannot afford to put it to waste.
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