The Jacksonville Jaguars exited Friday still in search of their first preseason win, but they certainly had some positive moments along the way. Most of those positive moments were through their starters, who helped get the Jags off to a 13-0 start.
When it comes to the players who registered the highest Pro Football Focus grades against the Cleveland Browns, Jags free-agent addition Brandon Scherff led the way on offense. He ended the night with an 84.2 overall grade. He especially had a good night when it came to run blocking with an 81.1, but wasn’t bad in pass protection, either, as he registered a 71.1 there.
Friday’s game was Scherff’s first time taking the field as a Jag as he sat out of the Hall of Fame Game. However, he wasted no time proving why he earned a big-time contract this spring when he took the field against the Browns’ defense as he opened some nice holes for Travis Etienne and company.
On the defensive side, one of Trent Baalke’s free-agent additions from last year, Rayshawn Jenkins, led the way with a 90.6. That’s a grade that gave him the highest one on the entire team despite not receiving a lot of snaps (nine) or having an eye-popping day on the stat sheet (had just one tackle).
However, as we’ve said in the past, stats can be deceiving sometimes. The veteran was superb in run defense, registering a 90.9 in that category. He was the reason behind one of the highlight plays of the game as he put a big-time hit on running back D’Ernest Johnson that forced the ball out of his grasp. Veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin then scooped it up and gave the Jags the ball at Cleveland’s 21-yard line.
With the Jags paying Jenkins a significant contract last season, they will need him to have a more impactful season than he did in 2021. He’s already off to a good start after also accumulating a PFF grade of 70 in the Hall of Fame Game.
The players who were behind Scherff on the offensive side included receiver Zay Jones (77.3), tight end Chris Manhertz (76.8), guard Beau Benzschawel (76.2), and quarterback Trevor Lawrence (70.8). As for the defensive side of the ball, rookie pass-rusher De’Shaan Dixon (77.7), nose tackle Jay Tufele (76.0), defensive end Adam Gotsis (75.9), and outside linebacker Travon Walker (73.7) were behind Jenkins.
#Jaguars top graded defensive players vs. the Browns
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins 90.6
DE De’Shaan Dixon 77.7
NT Jay Tufele 76.0
DL Adam Gotsis 75.9
OLB Travon Walker 73.7
DL Raequan Williams 72.8— James Johnson (@SportsGrind_Don) August 13, 2022
