The Jacksonville Jaguars could start upwards of seven new players on defense depending on the game situation next year -- specifically obvious passing downs with Dante Fowler and Yannick both rushing off the edge and Myles Jack in at middle linebacker with Malik Jackson inside, Jalen Ramsey and Prince Amukamara at cornerback, and Tashaun Gipson at free safety.
And Danny Kelly of The Ringer (formerly of SB Nation) thinks the biggest X factor on the Jaguars is Tashaun Gipson.
Jacksonville Jaguars: FS Tashaun Gipson
Gus Bradley needs a rangy and instinctive deep-centerfield safety to effectively run his cover-3 scheme, and Gipson showed glimpses of that ability in Cleveland — particularly in 2014 when he intercepted six passes in just 11 games. Adding talent to the pass rush and bolstering the cornerback ranks won’t help a ton unless Gipson is making quarterbacks afraid to throw the ball deep down the middle of the field.
How does Kelly define X factor? "It’s the guy who comes into the season with a wide range of possible outcomes — and whichever one he achieves will likely have an outsize impact upon his team’s fortunes."
Using that definition, I'd say Gipson matches it better than most. And he's certainly the player with most riding on his shoulders who would fit this description.
What do you think? Are there Jaguars players who fit Kelly's definition of an X factor better than Gipson? Let us know in the comments below.