These are good times around the Jaguars, with significant success in the recent past and plenty of reason for hope for the immediate future. The Jaguars’ owner sees this, and he likes what he sees. Khan, who will enter his 12th season as the Jaguars’ owner in 2023, sat down with senior writer John Oehser at this week’s 2023 NFL Annual Meeting. Among the topics: the 2022 season that ended in thrilling, high-profile fashion and included the AFC South title. “The players believed in each other,” Khan said when asked what stood out about a team that won its first AFC South title since 2017 and its division title in Khan’s tenure as owner. “They believed in the coaches and they believed they were destined to win.” Khan added, “I think it’s taken a while, but I’m glad it’s happening. I’m glad for all the fans.” Khan, too, discussed his thoughts not only on the 2022 season and postseason, but why believes more winning can follow – with those reasons centering on Head Coach Doug Pederson, General Manager Trent Baalke and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.” “The vibe I get [around this week’s meetings] is I think we’ve cracked the code,” he said. “We have a great head coach, we have a great general manager, and we have a great quarterback. Khan laughingly called Pederson “a media darling,” noting that he saw the reason for the head coach’s success “up close and personal.” He also lauded Pederson’s “self-belief, belief in the team and belief in the process.” “He’s a guy who’s very even-keeled,” Khan said. “He really doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low. He really demands winning – from himself, the players and the team.” Khan also praised Baalke, noting that while some fans and observers initially criticized Khan for retaining the general manager last offseason, “My belief in him never wavered no matter what the outside noise was.” “I’ve known Trent now for three years,” Khan said. “I believe in him. Whether he was popular with the fans or not, that’s for the fans to decide. He proved what I sure thought he was going to do.” The team’s success in 2022 not only led to the division title, it came in dramatic – and memorable – fashion. The Jaguars won seven of their final nine regular-season games, clinching the AFC South title with a come-from-behind victory over the Tennessee Titans in which outside linebacker Josh Allen returned a fumble for the game-winning touchdown in the final three minutes. That was the first prime-time home game on a weekend night in Khan’s ownership. The second came the following week when the Jaguars rallied from a 27-0 deficit for a 31-30 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Playoff game at TIAA Bank Field. “It’s a great memory that lives with you,” he said. “Certainly it’s going to live with me forever.” The victories mattered to Khan. The fans’ reaction in two sold-out, nationally televised victories perhaps mattered just as much. “We hadn’t had a primetime game in my ownership,” Khan said. “We hadn’t earned it. We didn’t deserve it. Here, we earned it. We deserve it. So, we get two in a row. Both of them are packed, including standing-room only tickets. Then to see the fans at both of the games hanging in. We’re down 27-0 and no one leaves … “That shows really the enthusiasm, the belief the fans had. I know it made a huge difference for Trevor. He looked up and saw no one had left. There was a huge vote of confidence in him.” Head Coach Doug Pederson discussed the Jaguars’ defense while meeting with the media during the 2023 NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Ariz., this week: “We have to improve our pass rush; I think that’s vital, particularly on third down…” Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson discussed QB Trevor Lawrence Monday while meeting with the media at the 2023 NFL Annual League Meeting: “The way he finished the season last year, the way our offense finished, the way our team finished … that’s something we can carry into the offseason …” Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson spoke to the media Monday morning at the 2023 NFL Annual League Meeting: “You have to continue to push. It’s about starting over. It’s about hitting the reset button….” Jaguars.com 2023 Mock Draft tracker 9.0: With the draft a month away, and with no consensus in sight, three analysts project Maryland CB Deonte Banks as a possible selection for the Jaguars in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft The jaguars.com 2023 free agent tracker, looking at free agents the Jaguars have acquired in 2023 and 2022 Jaguars players who became free agents on Wednesday, March 15 RB D’Ernest Johnson on signing with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent after four seasons with the Cleveland Browns: “They’ve got a great offense, great quarterback, great wide receivers and a great running back in Travis Etienne [Jr]; it’s a great team Senior writer John Oehser and Jaguars/NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks examine the Jaguars’ offensive line in this position-by-position look at the ’23 offseason Jaguars.com 2023 Mock Draft tracker 8.0: South Carolina CB Cam Smith emerging as popular projection for the Jaguars in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft Veteran DL Adam Gotsis on re-signing with the Jaguars and returning to the team for a fourth season in 2023: “I think I fit well in this locker room and jell well with the team; it’s awesome to work something out and come back here…” ©2023 Jacksonville Jaguars, LLC. 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