Which Jaguars Will Benefit the Most From Ryan Nielsen's Hiring?
The Jacksonville Jaguars made their biggest move of the offseason on Monday, officially hiring new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
After a 2023 season that saw the Jaguars' defense play lights out over the first two months before a disastrous breakdown down the stretch, Nielsen will be tasked with giving the Jaguars the top-ranked defense that has evaded them since 2018.
With Nielsen now in the fold, which Jaguars defenders could benefit the most from his hiring? We break it down below.
Travon Walker and Josh Allen
This one is obvious. Few defensive coaches have developed defensive line talent like Ryan Nielsen over the years, especially at defensive end. After developing Bradley Chubb into a top pick while at NC State, Nielsen then went to the New Orleans and played a giant role in developing Trey Hendrickson into one of the NFL's most consistent pass-rushers. He also did great work with Cam Jordan, who shares some similarities to Travon Walker.
Josh Allen is already a ready-made product after his 17.5-sack season in 2023, but adding one of the NFL's best defensive line coaches can only be good for him. Then you have Walker, who is still a ball of clay ready to be molded after two seasons. He took a step in 2023 with ten sacks; now, he can have a better chance of taking an even bigger leap in 2024 with Nielsen's tutelage.
DaVon Hamilton
2023 was a lost season for DaVon Hamilton due to a spinal abscess he developed during the preseason, a major infection that kept him out the first seven games of the season. Hamilton had to fight his way back onto the field and, naturally, didn't look like his typical self once he did. With a full offseason to recover and regain his playing strength, though, the arrow should point up in 2024.
Add in Nielsen's scheme and coaching, and Hamilton should be among the top players expected to bounce back in 2024. Hamilton has flashed top-tier run-stuffing talent before and there are plenty of reasons to think he could thrive in a 4-3 defense. With an extra year of recovery and a top-notch defensive line coach on his side, 2024 could be a big year for Hamilton.
Tyler Lacy
A bottom-of-the-rotation defensive lineman last year, Tyler Lacy played just 15% of the defensive snaps in his rookie season. With a couple of expiring contracts on the interior defensive line, Lacy could be primed for a bigger role and more snaps moving forward.
After some encouraging flashes as a run-defender as a rookie, Lacy could have a bigger impact in 2024 when you combine a larger role and Nielsen's impact. Lacy is well-liked inside the building for his toughness, strength and motor, so he should appeal to Nielsen rather quickly.
Devin Lloyd
2023 was an odd year for Devin Lloyd. He played good football over the first two months but had several inconsistent performances over the course of the second-half of the season and ultimately made few impact plays (zero forced fumbles, zero interceptions, and two tackles for loss).
Nielsen had his linebackers playing with their hair on fire in 2023, however, with the likes of Kaden Elliss and Nathan Landman combining for 18 tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception. Linebackers are given the chances to make plays in Nielsen's scheme, and Lloyd will need to take advantage of that.
