PFF: Jaguars DL Calais Campbell Was NFL’s Best Run Defender in 2019
Calais Campbell has been pretty dang good at this football thing for some time. Since entering the NFL in 2008, the 12-year veteran has compiled a Pro Football Hall of Fame resume, five Pro Bowls invitations, and three All-Pro teams.
Now, the 33-year old Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman has earned another accolade in a long list of them. Earlier this week, Pro Football Focus named Campbell the organization's run defender of the year, calling him the best run defender in all of football.
"Calais Campbell has just finished his 12th year in the NFL, and despite being over 9,800 snaps deep, he is playing some of the best football of his career," PFF wrote. "He is 33 years old and just registered his fourth consecutive season with a PFF grade above 90.0. He didn’t achieve the first of those until he was 30, and they have come across multiple different positions. "
In 2019, Campbell's third season in Jacksonville, the veteran once again posted solid numbers, leading to his fifth Pro Bowl selection. Campbell notched 6.5 sacks, 56 tackles (10 for loss), and 21 quarterback hits. His sack numbers were down, but Campbell made his home in opponent's backfields as a run defender, using his rare blend of size and agility to create havoc.
"The key to highlighting Campbell’s performance against the run is in PFF grade because his impact plays weren’t necessarily ones that show up readily in the stat sheet," PFF said. "Instead, they were more about disrupting blocking schemes, forcing adjustments from backs and setting others up to make plays. For that, you need to watch the tape, and the grades come about from watching and documenting what happens on every play of the NFL season. "
This is is an accurate depiction of Campbell's impact on the Jaguars in 2019. His numbers weren't anything special like they were in his first two seasons in Duval, but the versatile defensive lineman who splits time between defensive tackle and end was still a big part of what the Jaguars' defensive identity.
Campbell had some issues with missed tackles, but he was a consistent force for the struggling Jaguars' defense. He knived through offensive guards when lined up on the interior of the defense, demonstrating his athleticism and balance for his size have yet to regress to a level that deters his play. When lined up on the edge, Campbell overpowered tackles and created plays for other defenders to make.
The Jaguars have a big decision to make on Campbell moving forward. He is the unquestioned leader of not only the defense but the entire team. However, the cap-strapped Jaguars need to clear a lot of space this offseason and Campbell, who is entering the final year of his contract, could be cut due to the fact the Jaguars would save $15 million by doing so.
But the Jaguars could look past Campbell's age (will be 34 in Week 1) and contract and instead prioritize his impact in the locker room and on the field. As PFF has stated, Campbell is still playing at a high, high level, and nobody would fault the Jaguars for recognizing this.
