Pre-Draft Jaguars Position Primers: Will Jacksonville Add Even More Young Talent at EDGE?
In a few short weeks, the wait will be over. The 2021 NFL Draft will be here and the Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off the spectacle for the first time in franchise history.
Following the worst season in franchise history and 15 consecutive losses, the Jaguars are looking to make a splash to turn around one of the NFL's more stagnant franchises. The Jaguars are equipped with 10 draft picks to fuel that turnaround, including the No. 1 overall pick.
But where do the Jaguars need to improve? Who needs to be replaced? To answer these questions and more, we are taking a look at what each Jaguars position group looks like entering the final month before the draft. Today, we look at arguably the most important position on defense: Edge defender.
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On the roster: Josh Allen, K'Lavon Chaisson, Jihad Ward, Lerentee McCray, Aaron Patrick
The Jaguars' edge defender depth chart looks a good bit different now than it did when the 2020 season started, though the top two defenders (Josh Allen and K'Lavon Chaisson) are still in place. With that said, none of the other three edge defenders on the roster were on Jacksonville's active roster last season. Aaron Patrick was signed to the team's practice squad late in the season, Lerentee McCray opted out before the season began due to COVID-19 concerns, and Jihad Ward played under Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen in Baltimore.
Allen is the clear cream of the crop when it comes to Jacksonville's edge defenders. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Allen broke the Jaguars' rookie sack record with 10.5 as a rookie and also became the first Jaguars rookie to ever make a Pro Bowl. Allen suffered through injuries last season, however, playing just eight games and recording 2.5 sacks, a far cry from his production as a rookie. Now Allen will need to prove that the Jaguars' scheme change can truly help him unlock his potential -- something the last scheme prevented him from doing.
“I was screaming it to my wife when we found out [the Jaguars were switching to a 3-4],” Allen told ESPN's Michael DiRocco earlier this month. “That’s the reason why I’m here [in the NFL] and then transitioning to play defensive end my first and second year was a transition, but it was a transition that I was willing to make and that I had to make and that I felt like I could make at the time."
Chaisson, the No. 20 overall pick in last year's draft, faced similar issues in terms of productions in 2020. Chaisson played the entire season but ended his rookie year with 19 tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits -- with the lone sack coming in Week 2. With that said, Chaisson's play improved dramatically down the stretch as he became more comfortable and developed his counter moves. Like Allen, he was miscast as a 4-3 defensive end and is a more natural fit at outside linebacker.
Ward, 26, is a former 2016 second-round selection who has bounced from team to team throughout his career before finding success as a rotational defender with Cullen and the Ravens in 2019. Ward had the best season of his career in 2020, collecting three sacks, four tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits while playing just 26% of the team's defensive snaps.
McCray and Patrick are two players who are holdovers from the roster that Urban Meyer and Trent Baalke inherited. It is noteworthy that McCray is still on the roster after opting out last season, however -- the other two defenders who opted out on the Jaguars' roster last year (Al Woods and Rashaan Melvin) were released by the Jaguars at the start of free agency.
Offseason additions: Jihad Ward
The Jaguars didn't add any big-name edge defenders in free agency, opting to go the value and familiarity route with Jihad Ward as opposed to spending on Carl Lawson, Matt Judon, Trey Hendrickson, and others. Ward has never been a premier pass-rusher at the NFL level and he is likely better off a as fourth man in a rotation, but he is an established leader who has already produced in the scheme in the past. Plus, it is clear the Jaguars didn't just sign him to get after the quarterback. He was a signing made with the idea of implementing a new culture -- and it isn't hard to see why.
"I want to be a part of that change. A lot of people, when you deal with free agency, they want to deal with the winning teams that get a Super Bowl ring and all that stuff. But some people don’t realize when you go to teams, some people change, and some people do it the easy way out. I want to challenge myself," Ward said at his introductory press conference following free agency.
"I want to be a part of this organization and I want to see the moment. Everybody wants to think Jacksonville is going to be an easy win. No, when you go up against Jacksonville, you better think twice. Watch your mouth when you come to us. That’s how you have to bring it to the table. I really don’t speak much and all that stuff. You’ll see.”
Offseason subtractions: Aaron Lynch
The only edge defender who got consistent snaps last season that is not currently on the roster is Aaron Lynch. Lynch was an interesting case last year because he signed with the Jaguars, then retired in August before the year began, then unretired in October. Lynch was decent as a backup defensive end for the Jaguars, collecting one sack and three quarterback hits in limited snaps.
Biggest question facing position before the draft: Will the Jaguars use an early-round pick to bolster depth chart along the edge?
We won't go into the full details again, but we explained here why the Jaguars have a glaring need at the edge position despite having two athletic and talented former first-rounders at the position.
Essentially, the Ravens relied on a deep rotation along the edge to keep their defense fresh and aggressive. By contrast, the Jaguars have the opposite of a deep rotation at the position currently. They are one injury away from the entire depth chart going into flux, and we saw last year with Allen's injury just how delicate that type of top-heavy edge group can be.
As a result, the biggest question facing this year's edge group is whether the Jaguars will use one of their top-65 picks to add to the room. The Jaguars can't enter 2021 with their current group of pass-rushers and feel like they did enough, but they also don't have the depth along the edge to function in the base defense either if any injuries occur.
If the Jaguars add an edge defender, he could likely play between 45-55% of the team's snaps in a rotation with Allen and Chaisson, along with Ward moving into his more natural role as a No. 4 player in the rotation. There are plenty of ways to play Allen, Chaisson, and a third edge defender on the field at the same time, too.
Draft prospects who fit: Azeez Olujari, Joseph Ossai, Jaelan Philips, Carlos Basham, Ronnie Perkins, Shaka Toney, Quincy Roche
My top-graded edge defender, Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye, isn't included here because I think a true 4-3 defense would fit him much better. With that said, every other player on this list can function either with their hands in the dirt or standing up, which is key for the Jaguars' new-look scheme.
Azeez Olujari lacks prototypical size and would likely cause some concern since he would be the second smaller pass-rusher drafted in as many years, but he is a top-level athlete who plays the run harder than most other edge defenders in this year's draft.
Jaelan Phillips' projected draft range is impossible to project. He is one of the top defenders in the class if you base it solely on 2020 film, but he has faced concussion issues and other serious injuries throughout his college career that could force teams to have legitimate questions.
Carlos Basham is a tough evaluation at times, but he is a hybrid type of edge player who can win both outside and inside. Add in his leadership ability and top-tier athleticism for his size and he just seems like a Jaguars/Ravens pass-rusher.
