Okay, team awards aren't a thing. And likely—despite my inner fan screaming for it—no one on the Jacksonville Jaguars will win league MVP. Rookie wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter has a solid chance to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, and maybe even Defensive Rookie as well. Other than that? Defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen or Travon Walker could have the best seasons of their career and be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, but both are long shots.
But what if we limit these awards to Jaguars? Everyone knows only quarterbacks win MVPs, so let's skip out on that one. But what about the bounce-back player of the year? Offensive and defensive rookies of the year?
Let's get to it.
Jaguars Offensive Rookie of the Year—wide receiver Travis Hunter
This feels like a no-brainer. Despite the suddenly very deep running back room, thanks to rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LaQuint Allen Jr., Hinter still looks like the most promising rookie on the team—potentially in the entire league. We won't spend a lot of time here, but I expect Hunter to put up numbers similar to Brian Thomas Jr.'s first season.
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Defensive Rookie of the Year—Jaguars safety Rayuan Lane III
I thought about being a bit cheeky and putting Hunter here, as well. However, despite Jacksonville's stated intentions of eventually playing Hunter extensively on defense, I expect him to make the biggest impact on offense. And Gladstone only drafted a few rookies on defense before signing two UDFAs to the defensive line. Add in Caleb Ranshaw's season-ending injury, and the pickings were slim for defensive rookie of the year.
Enter Lane. Or, as others call him, Second Lieutenant Lane. With linebacker Jack Kiser as the only other viable option, I decided to go with the Navy grad drafted in the sixth round. Though he looks to make an impact on special teams, with Ranshaw's injury, I expect to see him on the field more and more as the season goes on. Maybe it's the wishful thinking of a military vet, but I can't wait to see what Lane can do.
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Bounce back player of the year—quarterback Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence has had a rough go in the NFL. Urban Meyer turned his rookie season into a mulligan. He had flashes in late 2022 and early 2023, but injuries have largely hampered him since then. Yes, I know, that sounds like an excuse. But the Jaguars new leadership team of head coach Liam Coen, executive vice president of football operations, and general manager James Gladstone believes in the still-young quarterback.
"Trevor was doing a phenomenal job operationally throughout the course of the offseason program," Gladstone said (11:00 mark). "Throughout the course of training camp, he began to test everything and began to push the limits, not just to do what was asked, but go beyond that. That was the exciting thing that you began to see sort of take shape. Taking riskier throws and actually threading the needle in a way that was jaw dropping."
Maybe he won't be in talks for league MVP, but the Jaguars believe in their quarterback. Add in the new weapons they've given him this season, and expect a return to form for the Clemson grad.
Related: 3 reasonable expectations for Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence in 2025
Final thoughts
The Jaguars enter the 2025 season with a lot of unknowns. Can Hunter live up to expectations? With Coen be able to reproduce the offense we saw from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year? Will we ever get the throwback uniforms as a permanent option? How often does the staff clean the pool at EverBank Stadium?
The biggest unknown? How will the rookie class and quarterback Trevor Lawrence perform? While the other questions are maybe more interesting, this one is far more important.
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