Thursday Night Football: team needs for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans

This week’s Thursday Night Football match up doesn’t feature two powerhouses, but there’s still plenty of intrigue. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans are division rivals that actually still have a chance at winning the AFC South.

Things in the AFC South are wide open because of the struggles of the Indianapolis Colts. A win tonight could be the spark one of these teams needs to make a playoff run.

However, this is a NFL draft bases website so that’s where we will keep our focus. These teams may be in the playoff hunt, but they are far from true contenders. They both have major holes to fill if they hope to take the next step.

Jacksonville has done a nice job adding talent both through the draft and free agency. Blake Bortles has shown major improvement this year in part due to the strong play of his young receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns.

Defensively, the Jaguars have some nice pieces but are anxiously awaiting the return of Dante Fowler Jr. next season.

Their top overall need is at left tackle where Luke Joeckel has struggled to live up to his high draft status. Luckily, the 2016 NFL Draft features two high-end left tackle prospects in Ole Miss’s Laremy Tunsil and Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley.

The addition of Davon House and solid play of Aaron Colvin gives Jacksonville good options at cornerback. However, they might have a chance to add an elite player like Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III.

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Bringing Hargreaves into the mix would strengthen Jacksonville’s nickle and dime packages.

The Tennessee Titans have had a roller-coaster like season with plenty of ups and downs. Ownership’s decision to make a coaching change mid-way through the season didn’t help create stability. Long-term it also means that they’ll need to find a new voice to come in and work with Marcus Mariota.

Mariota is performing as many expected by showing signs of promise and struggling other areas. The experience he’ll gain throughout the rest of the season will be key to his development. However, who they bring in as the new head coach will have a greater impact.

Tennessee could help Mariota by adding an elite running back to the mix. Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott would be a great weapon in any offense. Adding someone like Elliott would give Mariota someone capable of helping him move the chains and increase the effectiveness of play action.

While still possible, it’s unlikely either of these teams will make the playoffs this year. The fact we are discussion the playoffs when mentioning these two teams shows that they are on the right track.

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