Of all the positional needs that the Jacksonville Jaguars have, which one is the biggest this offseason?

The secondary, building through the trenches, and added depth at tight end, quarterback, and more are all positions we could see the Jaguars address this offseason in some capacity.

However, in terms of the biggest, The Athletic’s beat reporters recently answered that question for the respective teams that they cover. For the Jaguars, Jeff Howe would select the offensive line.

During Liam Coen’s introductory press conference, he was very direct in saying that the offensive line play has to get better this season.

“I think we would all agree that it needs to improve,” said Coen .

In ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric, the Jaguars ranked 19th in that category. In run-block win rate , Jacksonville was 25th.

The 4.2 yards per carry the Jaguars averaged ranked 19th, but perhaps most telling when it comes to the offensive line play in the run game was that the Jacksonville backs totaled the third-fewest yards before contact . Or in short, they were getting hit right away.

As we all know, time in the pocket is a must for any quarterback. It provides them a clean pocket to throw from and the ability for the quarterback to go through their progressions without the timing and rhythm of the play being disrupted.

When it comes to Coen’s top priority as the new head coach–getting Trevor Lawrence and the passing game back on track–that ability to keep him clean was always going to be an important factor.

But so is the running game. An important element of the Bucs’ passing game success last season was having a very strong run game to lean on. This kept the offense ahead of the sticks and out of predictable passing situations. This can then open up opportunities in the passing game as well.

“I think that when you look at, first and foremost, the offensive side of the ball, you want that unit and that group–it’s the first thing that when you break the huddle the defense sees,” Coen added. “I want that to mean something. We want that to mean something and it will.

“That’s a mentality, that’s personnel, that’s scheme, that’s technique, that’s fundamentals, and that’s attitude. That’s something that we need to make sure we instill.”

As Lawrence noted in his end of season press conference, a lack of consistency in the running game last season led to the offense frequently finding itself in obvious passing situations, which can lead to predictability.

Improving the guard play, finding a long-term option at center, and bolstering the competition at tackle are all boxes that the Jaguars could look to check on the offseason to-do list. Getting the most out of Lawrence and the offense as a whole starts with the offensive line.

“That’s where it starts,” said Coen of the trenches. “To go win playoff games and to go and do it, you’ve got to be able to run the football and stop the run, first and foremost.”