Skip to main content
Advertising

Jaguars OC Gruden wants to utilize D.J. Chark more from slot

D.J. Chark enjoyed a breakout season last year, providing splash plays with Gardner Minshew to become the focal point of the Jacksonville Jaguars' passing game.

Could the third-year wideout play an even bigger role in 2020?

Chark compiled 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games last season. New offensive coordinator Jay Gruden spoke glowingly of Chark earlier this week and suggested moving him around the formation could provide even more opportunity for the 6-foot-4 receiver.

"He is playing with a load of confidence right now and that is very exciting," Gruden said of Chark, via the team's official website. "He's got the skill set with the size, speed and ability to come in and out of cuts. I think we can do a little bit more with him. I'd like to get him inside and do some more things with him in the slot. He's an excellent specimen.

"The thing that I have come to know about DJ in the limited time I got to meet him was that he's hungry. He wants to be great and when you have the athletic qualities that he has and then the desire to be great, he's going to have a very bright future. Now it is our job to get him acclimated to this offense and get him comfortable where he can go out there and play fast because he is a big, strong, fast, hungry kid and we got to give him the ball."

Chark spent just 25 percent of his snaps in the slot last season while playing 71 percent on the outside, per Next Gen Stats.

The Jags' clear No. 1 target entering 2020, moving Chark around more than in last year's bland offense would help get Minshew's favorite receiver in more favorable matchups as defenses gear up to slow Jacksonville's biggest threat.

Related Content