When it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s hard to predict if the team will have any Pro Bowlers this upcoming season. They’ve only won four games in the last two seasons, which puts them at a disadvantage, and they also play in a small market, which doesn’t help either. It’s especially hard to predict if they will have any offensive Pro Bowlers as their defense is more talented.
However, in a recent post where NFL.com’s Nick Shook named a potential first-time Pro Bowler on every team, the Jags were slotted an option on the offensive side instead of the defensive side. That player was receiver Christian Kirk, who the Jags added through a four-year deal this spring in free agency.
Did the Jaguars overpay for Kirk this offseason? Based on past production, that’s a fair assessment, but they handed over the cash because they expect Kirk to emerge as a primary target for Trevor Lawrence in the quarterback’s second season. This is still a roster in need of additional talent and one that’s relying on a handful of young, unproven hopefuls, so I’m turning to the speedster and hoping Doug Pederson can maximize this pairing. If the front office is going to score a win, it would be by watching Lawrence connect with Kirk often enough to earn him a Pro Bowl nod.
While it won’t be easy, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibilities. After all, we’ve seen former Jags receivers DJ Chark Jr. (2019) and Allen Robinson (2015) earn Pro Bowl nominations when looking at the last seven seasons. What’s interesting about their nominations is that neither had a quarterback as talented as Trevor Lawrence, so Kirk might arguably be in better shape than both former Jags stars.
However, if Kirk has any chance at going to the Pro Bowl, he will need to do something he’s never done before, which is register 1,000 yards in a season. He came close last season, falling 18 yards shy of the achievement. It would also help his case to accumulate a double-digit touchdown figure, too.
When the Jags return to the field in camp, the Pro Bowl will likely be the last thing on Kirk’s mind. He’ll more so be focused on getting his connection right with Lawrence, as the two are going to have to be the top dogs for the 2022 Jags offense.
Still, we’d like to hear from our readers on this topic. Could Kirk end up going to his first Pro Bowl this upcoming season? Vote in the poll below.
