After months of waiting, Jaguars fans are on the brink of finally seeing the first overall selection in last year’s draft, Trevor Lawrence, play a meaningful snap for their team. What is there not to be excited about? Lawrence is the most hyped-up prospect since Andrew Luck, and Jacksonville has waited their turn for an elite quarterback. But while it’s easy to get lost in the Lawrence excitement, it should be remembered that this team only has Lawrence because they finished the previous season with the worst record in football. This team has holes, and even though they hope to have patched the biggest one in the draft, others remain. The offensive line is still a major question mark. There’s optimism for the unit, but they still need to prove themselves. Luckily for the Jaguars, a bad offensive line couldn’t even stop James Robinson from putting up a spectacular rookie season, and he’ll look to have a similar role this year. Jacksonville also has what is likely an underrated wide receiver room. Marvin Jones Jr. was a great signing. Meanwhile, D.J. Chark Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. are established players in the organization who Lawrence can rely on. These players may not be stars, but they collectively make up a formidable receiving corps.

Another major issue this Jaguars team has is its defense. Only the Lions allowed more points per game than Jacksonville last season. How did the Jaguars respond? They spent big money on the defense in the offseason. Rayshawn Jenkins and Shaquill Griffin were brought in to shore up a secondary that desperately needed help. Jacksonville is also banking on growth from Josh Allen and C.J. Henderson, who can really help out the defense if they play to their potential.

This Jaguars team can be best summarized in one word: uncertain. Improvements were made to the defense, but how much will it really help? Rookie quarterbacks are always unpredictable, even first-rounders. The offensive line is an uncertainty. Finally, the biggest mystery of all is coach Urban Meyer, who will coach his first-ever NFL game this season. The good news is that the division is not especially strong. The Titans are very likely to win the AFC South, but the Texans are a mess and the Colts have question marks of their own at the most important position in the sport. The Jaguars are lined up to have a bright future, but temper expectations for this season.

Regular season record prediction: 6-11