JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- With free agency and the draft in the rearview mirror, and organized team activities and minicamp in full swing, here’s a prediction of who could be in the starting lineup for the Jacksonville Jaguars when the season kicks off in September:
OFFENSE
QB: Blake Bortles: This is a make-or-break year for the third-overall pick in 2014, who has the most turnovers (63) and second-most interceptions (51) since he entered the league.
RB: Leonard Fournette: The 6-foot, 228-pounder (the fourth overall pick) is the perfect fit for the ball-control, play-action offense the Jaguars want to run under new head coach Doug Marrone.
FB: Marquez Williams: The Jaguars did away with the fullback after 2014 but offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has brought it back with the 260-pound Williams.
TE: Marcedes Lewis: The longest-tenured current Jaguars player (he’s entering his 12th season) may not be much of a threat in the passing game any longer (36 catches in the past two seasons), but he’s still a solid blocker.
LT: Cam Robinson: We don’t know yet if Branden Albert will report for the mandatory minicamp in June or if he intends to miss any part of training camp, so Robinson, the team’s second-round pick, gets the job for now.
LG: Patrick Omameh: Robinson could be in play here if Albert does return and starts at left tackle, but Omameh was the most consistent of the six players the Jaguars used at left guard last season.
C: Brandon Linder: He’s the Jaguars’ best lineman and is in his second season as a center after playing his first two seasons at guard.
RG: A.J. Cann: Cann didn’t play as well overall last season as he did as a rookie so he needs a bounce-back performance.
RT: Jermey Parnell: He was bothered by a groin injury for much of the first half of the 2016 season.
WR: Allen Robinson: His per-catch average dropped from 17.5 in 2015 to 12.1 last season despite catching only seven fewer passes.
WR: Marqise Lee: He was finally completely healthy in 2016 and ended up being the Jaguars’ best offensive playmaker (63 catches for 851 yards and three TDs).
DEFENSE
DE: Yannick Ngakoue: He had 8.0 sacks last season, which broke Tony Bracken's single-season rookie sack record.
DT: Malik Jackson: He was the Jaguars’ best defensive player in 2016 and certainly didn’t slack off at all after getting a contract that guaranteed him $42 million.
NT: Abry Jones: The Jaguars signed the former undrafted free agent to a four-year contract in March and he takes over as the starter in place of Roy Miller.
DE: Calais Campbell: He has had at least five sacks in each of the past eight seasons (56.5 in his nine seasons) and the Jaguars value his leadership as much as his consistency on the field.
WLB: Telvin Smith: Since becoming a starter in Week 12 in 2014 he has totaled the second-most tackles in the NFL (309).
MLB: Myles Jack: The Jaguars’ second-round pick in 2016 played only 230 snaps on defense but they’ve given him the starting job in 2017 and he’ll have to prove he can handle the responsibility pretty quickly.
SLB: Paul Posluszny: He moves outside after playing in the middle throughout his entire 10-year career and he was clearly uneasy and upset when he spoke about the move.
CB: Jalen Ramsey: His mix of size, speed and cover skills makes him one of the game’s top young players and on course to be one of the league’s best corners.
FS: Tashaun Gipson: He’s happier now that the Jaguars will be playing more split safety because that will give him the opportunity to make plays.
SS: Barry Church: The Jaguars signed him to replace Johnathan Cyprien and they believe he’s an upgrade in regards to coverage skills.
CB: A.J. Bouye: He was signed away from the Houston Texans after having a breakout season and pairs with Ramsey to give the Jaguars one of the top cornerback duos in the NFL.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Jason Myers: He has made 53-of-64 field-goal attempts in two seasons and cut his PAT misses from seven in 2015 to three in 2016.
P: Brad Nortman: He ranked eighth in the NFL in punting (46.6 yards per punt) but 22nd in net punting (39.5 yards per punt) in his first season with the Jaguars.
KR: Marqise Lee: His 30.3 per-return average on 18 returns would have ranked second in the NFL had he had enough returns to qualify.
PR: Rashad Greene: He will battle rookie Dede Westbrook for this spot as well as work as a slot receiver after a disappointing 2016 (6.3 yards per return).