Grading the Jaguars: Defensive Tackle Rotation Persists Amid Questions
The Jacksonville Jaguars are headed into the bye week with a win under their belt and momentum off which to build. After six games—and 11 to go—where does this team stand? The first five losses painted a picture of a team with lots of places to improve, but some positives that can be taken away as well.
Through this series, we'll examine each unit; what's worked, what hasn't and what grade they've earned thus far. Next up, the defensive tackle unit.
Positives
To be honest, at this point, the positives for this unit are few and far between. They haven't necessarily been horrible (we'll discuss that more below) but there haven't been standout performances either unit wide or individually. The biggest positive is more so from what could happen eventually. There are young pieces in places that coaches are excited about, with the ability to become anchors as they grow.
Davon Hamilton's snap count has fluctuated this season, playing as many as 46 snaps versus the Houston Texans and 13 against the Miami Dolphins, and every amount in between.Still, in his second year, Hamilton has evolved into the Jaguars most consistent lineman, with a quarterback pressure and hurry in five out of six games. He also leads his unit with 12 tackles.
Roy Robertson-Harris has had trouble staying healthy (which, yes, is a negative) but has arguably been as productive as Hamilton in half the games. In just three contest, he's garnered six quarterback pressures, five hits and seven tackles. He's spent the majority of his three games facing passing downs, according to Pro Football Focus, making his ability to get to the backfield of even more importance.
Malcom Brown has accumulated six QB pressures, four hits and 10 tackles this season, while also providing a veteran presence the tackle group needed. The coaching staff seems excited about Jay Tufele, who has yet to play a game, but if their predictions for Tufele and Hamilton come to fruition, with some guidance courtesy of Brown, this unit could develop into a solid group in the trenches.
Negatives
There's something to be said for defensive line not being a stat stuffing unit. Their job is to create holes for their teammates, making it thankless at times. And overall, they've helped stand up teams in the run game, only allowing two of six opponents gain over 100 yards on the ground.
But there's been no consistency or immediate plan for a unit that Urban Meyer called the most important part of the team in the offseason. The club declined Taven Bryan's fifth-year option, but by all accounts didn't make an effort to trade him. He's averaging 19 snaps a game and didn't play versus the Dolphins.
Bryan was inactive for the Dolphins because rookie Jay Tufele was activated for the first time all season, after being a healthy scratch the first five weeks. By the time he was activated for his first game, the rookie injured his hand during warm-ups and couldn't play. Roy Robertson-Harris, as mentioned, missed three games with an ankle and illness.
If the defensive line really does set the tone for the entire team—as Meyer maintained since hiring that it would—then what tone is given off when a unit is mismanaged in terms of providing quality depth and roster management?
Overall Grade: C+
This unit is better...but that's relative to what it was a year ago. It's a work in progress—which is understandable, most of this team is still a work in progress—but the refusal to face the Taven Bryan issue while simultaneously needing him while brining along a rookie who hadn't played since 2019 (Tufele) set the unit back even further. The run defense helps bring up the average.
