The Jacksonville Jaguars are the anti-Indianapolis Colts. Whereas with the Colts I wanted to scream and rip out my teeth trying to find sixteen players to keep, the Jags being protected from the disaster draft leaped off the page at me, National Treasure-style. I don’t know how to put this delicately, so I won’t: the Jaguars are really good, and the Colts are really bad. The Jags are one of the top teams in the NFL, so of course, they have tons of great players that they do not want to lose. Here are their sixteen protected players for a double disaster draft.
Lost to Free Agency: Paul Posluszny, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson
The No Doubters:
| Player | POS. | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Calais Campbell | DE | $17,500,000 | $14,500,000 | $17,500,000 | UFA | – |
| Malik Jackson | DT | $15,500,000 | $15,000,000 | $15,750,000 | $13,750,000 | UFA |
| A.J. Bouye | CB | $15,500,000 | $15,500,000 | $15,500,000 | $15,500,000 | UFA |
| Telvin Smith | OLB | $11,810,235 | $10,560,235 | $10,810,235 | $11,060,235 | UFA |
| Marcell Dareus | DT | $10,175,000 | $11,585,000 | $14,600,000 | $14,650,000 | UFA |
| Brandon Linder | C | $9,406,250 | $6,000,000 | $8,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $10,000,000 |
| Dante Fowler Jr. | DE | $7,474,171 | – | UFA | – | – |
| Tashaun Gipson | FS | $7,050,000 | $9,050,000 | $8,600,000 | UFA | – |
| Jalen Ramsey | CB | $6,368,454 | $7,429,865 | – | UFA | – |
| Leonard Fournette | RB | $6,170,645 | $7,404,774 | $8,638,907 | – | UFA |
| Barry Church | SS | $5,000,000 | $6,250,000 | $6,750,000 | UFA | – |
| Myles Jack | OLB | $1,727,574 | $2,015,505 | UFA | – | – |
| Cam Robinson | LT | $1,595,036 | $1,914,044 | $2,233,053 | UFA | – |
Clocking in at thirteen players, the Jags might just have the longest list of no-doubters that I will have in this whole exercise. If we’re being completely honest, fifteen-of-sixteen players on this list are actually no doubters (Bort is a more-than-likely). Just look at this list. Incredible defensive players up and down it in both veteran price scales and rookie contracts. That’s what you want for a good team that’s going to be good for a long time. I’m honestly jealous of the talent they’ve accumulated here. It’s truly impressive.
The More-Than-Likely Staying:
| Player | POS. | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Blake Bortles | QB | $19,053,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Allen Hurns | WR | $7,000,000 | $8,000,000 | $9,650,000 | UFA | – |
| Yannick Ngakoue | DE | $949,145 | $1,048,313 | UFA | – | – |
I wrestled with putting Ngakoue in the no-doubters, as he’s young and extremely, extremely talented. He’s as important as any player in category one, but I didn’t want Hurns and Bortles to feel bad, so he goes here. Hurns stays because of the loss of two other veteran WRs to free agency, and Bort gets one last shot to prove to the Jags who he is.
The Leftovers:
Go ahead and pull that Tupperware out of the back of the fridge with the stuff from visiting the in-laws from Christmas. It’s starting to grow something. Make space for these leftovers. A ton of these guys are extremely talented and likely to end up on the Arches or Conquistadors come disaster draft season.
| Player | POS. | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Chris Ivory | RB | $6,968,750 | $7,000,000 | $8,500,000 | UFA | – |
| Jermey Parnell | RT | $5,000,000 | $6,000,000 | UFA | – | – |
| Marcedes Lewis | TE | $3,750,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Abry Jones | DT | $3,500,000 | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | UFA | – |
| Brad Nortman | P | $2,375,000 | $2,375,000 | UFA | – | – |
| T.J. Yeldon | RB | $1,881,655 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Mychal Rivera | TE | $1,500,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Tyler Shatley | G | $1,077,500 | UFA | – | – | – |
| A.J. Cann | G | $1,030,399 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Dawuane Smoot | DE | $881,290 | $1,053,540 | $1,205,393 | UFA | – |
| Josh Wells | RT | $836,250 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Arrelious Benn | WR | $830,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Carson Tinker | LS | $800,000 | $835,000 | UFA | – | – |
| Rashad Greene | WR | $765,955 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Michael Bennett | DT | $739,676 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Dede Westbrook | WR | $724,039 | $814,039 | $904,039 | UFA | – |
| James O’Shaughnessy | TE | $714,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Josh Walker | G | $705,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Tyler Patmon | CB | $705,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Josh Lambo | K | $705,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Jarrod Wilson | S | $631,668 | RFA | – | – | – |
| Dexter McDougle | CB | $630,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Blair Brown | OLB | $628,678 | $718,678 | $808,681 | UFA | – |
| Jalen Myrick | CB | $578,416 | $668,416 | $758,418 | UFA | – |
| I’Tavius Mathers | RB | $556,666 | $646,668 | RFA | – | – |
| Keelan Cole | WR | $556,333 | $646,334 | RFA | – | – |
| Jaydon Mickens | WR | $555,000 | ERFA | – | – | – |
| Larry Pinkard | WR | $555,000 | ERFA | – | – | – |
| Tevaun Smith | WR | $555,000 | $645,000 | RFA | – | – |
| Brandon Wilds | RB | $555,000 | $645,000 | RFA | – | – |
| Brandon Thomas | G | $555,000 | $645,000 | RFA | – | – |
| Eli Ankou | DT | $555,000 | $645,000 | RFA | – | – |
| Donald Payne | ILB | $555,000 | $645,000 | RFA | – | – |
| Carroll Phillips | OLB | $555,000 | – | – | – | – |
| Jarrod Harper | S | $555,000 | $645,000 | RFA | – | – |
| Colin Holba | LS | $555,000 | ERFA | – | – | – |
| Lamar Atkins | WR | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Tim Cook | RB | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| David Grinnage | TE | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Avery Gennesy | T | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Hunter Dimick | DE | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Brooks Ellis | OLB | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Charlie Miller | S | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Sammy Seamster | CB | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
