PFF predicts Jags to sign TE Jonnu Smith, safety Marcus Williams from 2021 free agent class
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Whoever is named the Jacksonville Jaguars’ general manager in the future will have plenty of firepower to get the roster on the right track. Not only does that include 11 draft picks (many of which are early selections), but that also includes over $82 million in cap space. That’s a total that would lead the NFL next year.
While the draft is clearly the way to build a team, the Jags definitely need to add a few veterans to their team through free-agency as they are the youngest team in football. Among their biggest needs aside from quarterback will be at tight end and in the secondary and Pro Football Focus believes the 2021 free agency class just may have some solutions.
In a preview of the top-graded players from the upcoming free-agent class, PFF predicted that the Jags would be able to land two of the top-32 ranked players of the group. The first was New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Williams, who is currently the No. 10 ranked safety out of 91 according to their grading scale.
Since entering the league in 2017, Williams has ranked near the top of the league in every significant category for safeties. He has a coverage grade that ranks in the 90th percentile to go with the second-highest rate of forced incompletions. Williams is also a solid run defender and with the skills to fit as a free safety in any scheme.
Williams is infamous for the Minneapolis Miracle, which is a shame because he’s been a great player for the Saints on the back end. New Orleans brought their 2009 first-round pick, Malcolm Jenkins, back to the bayou this offseason, which could be a sign of them preparing ahead of time for the departure of Williams.
Prediction: Jaguars sign Williams for four-years, $52M ($13M APY). $25M total guaranteed, $16M fully guaranteed at signing.
Williams’ addition would be interesting because the Jags may need help at corner more than at safety. The Jags currently have one of the highest-graded free safeties in Jarrod Wilson, who currently has an overall grade of 72.5. That’s not that far off from Williams’ grade (75.6), though Williams is a better run defender and Wilson is a better pass defender.
That said, pairing Williams and Wilson could be an option, however, Jags rookie Daniel Thomas flashed before going on injured reserve, and the argument could be made that he and Wilson should be the starters in 2021.
The other player PFF predicted to the Jags was a familiar face from the division: tight end Jonnu Smith.
Smith’s calling card in the NFL has been his work after the catch, where he has averaged more than 7.0 yards after the catch per reception over his career.
In 2019, he broke 14 tackles on just 41 receptions to average 7.5 yards after the catch per reception as part of the vastly improved Titans offense with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback. His threat is less of a secret to NFL teams in 2020, and he has found it a little more difficult to escape for big plays, but he remains on track for his second consecutive career-high in PFF grade.
Smith has yet to be a high-volume target in the offense — his career-high in targets over a season, including the playoffs, is still just 52. He should comfortably eclipse that mark in 2020, but 15 tight ends saw more targets than he did over the first half of the season, even if far fewer than that earned a higher grade.
Smith will be an enticing prospect for a team with a major need at tight end that will look to scale up his opportunity and see a corresponding jump in his impact on the offense. Smith’s blocking is the weaker area of his game, but that has become less of an issue for the position as the years have gone by.
Prediction: Jaguars sign Smith for four-years, $38 million ($9.5M APY): $20.5M total guaranteed, $15M fully guaranteed at signing.
This is certainly a signing Jags fans might be willing to get behind when considering the performance Smith had against the Jags earlier in the season, accumulating four catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns. There is also familiarity with him due to being a Florida native and attending Florida International University.
As many are aware, the Jags struggled to find an answer at tight end for much of Dave Caldwell’s tenure, and now it will fall on his successor to find an option. While some will point to the draft, the fact of the matter is that it’s rare for rookie tight ends to have a significant impact out of the gate. Still, the Jags have several early picks and could try and snag a player like Kyle Pitts of Florida if they feel free-agency isn’t the answer.
The good thing is that there is plenty of time for the Jags to figure out what holes they are going to plug in 2021 and how they are going to do it. However, we would like to hear from you all at home in terms of the direction the Jags should go when it comes to the 2021 free-agency class. Feel free to leave your comments on this topic in our social media links for this post.
