‘A Complete 180’: How De’Shaan Dixon Could Be Jaguars' Latest Undrafted Success Story
Walking into the Jacksonville Jaguars' locker room on Tuesday afternoon, rookie outside linebacker De'Shaan Dixon wasn't hard to find.
No, not because of his 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame that is impossible to miss. No, not because his mobile, temporary locker in a sea of lighted and installed lockers from veteran players stuck out like a short thumb, reflecting his journey from undrafted free agent to a member of the 53-man roster.
Instead, it was because Dixon was the latest in what has been a long line of success stories for the Jaguars; their undrafted gamble.
Both Dixon and undrafted safety Josh Thompson made the first 53-man roster, though Thompson was waived on Wednesday. New wide receiver Kendric Pryor is also an undrafted free agent, but Dixon is the lone undrafted free agent to enter Jaguars training camp and leave with a spot on Jacksonville's 53-man roster entering the first week of regular-season practices.
"I'm just glad to be here," Dixon said with a smile on Tuesday. "I'll be taking it one day at a time, just getting 1% better every day."
"You know, it feels really great. Like I said, it's grateful to be here. They gave me an opportunity and, you know, I went 100% every day, you know. Drafted or undrafted. It just feels good to be on the team still."
The Jaguars have had undrafted rookies make an impact on the franchise for its entire history, but especially over the last decade. Allen Hurns, Corey Grant, James Robinson, Tre Herndon, Andrew Wingard, Jarrod Wilson, Tim Jones, and Tyler Shatley are just a few undrafted free agents who have fought their way onto the Jaguars' roster in recent years. Now, Dixon follows in their footsteps.
Being an undrafted free agent and earning a spot on a 53-man roster is all about determination. They have to fight, scratch and claw for every opportunity. They have to shine when they are called upon, not being given the margin of error that most drafted players are given. They earn everything and are given nothing. And now Dixon joins the proud fraternity.
"I took the opportunities I did have, you know, I took full advantage of them. I made the most of it," Dixon said.
"It was a bit of a long process, you know, waiting on draft day, didn't hear the name, but you know, getting that phone call from Jacksonville, saying you know, there's this spot, there's opportunity for you here, so I definitely took that. That was first one I took."
Dixon is the perfect example of what head coach Doug Pederson has preached to his team since he was hired. He was given a chance to make an impact on both defense and special teams in the preseason, and he did that. The reason Dixon got the nod over other players at his spot was because he brought value to both areas of the team, proving he could do so with each preseason game.
For Dixon, it was the culmination of what he calls a complete 180 from the college product he was not even a year ago. Dixon was signed as a free agent from Norfolk State after 14.5 career sacks, including nine in 2021. But he did that mostly thanks to his pure tools and traits. Now, Dixon considers himself a still ascending but more complete prospect.
"Oh complete 180 from college," Dixson said. "Like, just being a raw prospect, you know, [I'm] still raw but the learning I've gotten from here and from other places, like when I was training and stuff, it's been a huge help to help me get to where I am now."
Now, Dixon has a chance to do something special. He will likely play a mostly special teams role as Josh Allen and Travon Walker get the starting nods at outside linebacker in Jacksonville's 3-4 defense and K'Lavon Chaisson serves as the primary backup, but then there is Dixon. As the No. 4 outside linebacker, that means the Jaguars are just a play away from relying on him.
So far, everything Dixon has shown is that he can be that player for the Jaguars. Now, he will get his chance to prove it, just like the others before him.
