2018 NFL Power Rankings: Philadelphia Eagles begin preseason on top

7. Jacksonville Jaguars

After years of always coming up short of expectations to become a top contender in the AFC, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally came through last season, and even came close to reaching the Super Bowl. As frustrating as it was to blow a 10-point lead to the Patriots in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship, at least the Jaguars can use this as a lesson to improve moving forward since they know what the pressure feels like of playing in this big of a game.

Just like the situation in Buffalo, defense was the main reason behind Jacksonville’s success last year when looking at how much of a nightmare the unit was for opponents. And even though the defense is expected to rank near the top of the league once again, how far the Jaguars can go in 2018 will come down to the play of Blake Bortles on offense.

Jacksonville made a bold move by rewarding their former first-round pick with an extension in the offseason since there were some questions over whether he was the right answer on offense. Since Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns are no longer part of the picture, it will be interesting to see which young receivers step up in their absence.