Jaguars' Doug Costin Cracks PFF's Top-10 Rookies Through Week 14

One Jacksonville Jaguars undrafted rookie has cracked Pro Football Focus' list of the league's top-10 rookies through Week 14, but it isn't the rookie most would expect.

PFF puts out an updated list of their top-10 graded rookies each week. For much of the early parts of the season, Jaguars rookie running back James Robinson made the cut. This week, however, it is a defensive teammate.

Rookie defensive tackle Doug Costin, who signed with the Jaguars this offseason after a stellar career at Miami University, came in at No. 9 and ranked one spot ahead of New York Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton, who has been one of the better left tackles in the AFC this season.

After making a name for himself as one of the most productive interior defensive linemen in the Group of 5 at Miami (OH), Costin was snatched up by the Jags as a UDFA and has quietly been on a tear recently. Costin struggled in his first two games as a rotational player in Weeks 4 and 5, earning sub-50.0 PFF grades, but he's come on leaps and bounds ever since," PFF

wrote

.

"Dating back to Week 6, Costin is tied for 10th at his position in PFF grade and has been a constant disrupter against the run."

Costin has appeared in nine games for the Jaguars, starting five of the last six in place of a benched Taven Bryan. Costin has been more productive on a snap-by-snap basis, leading to the rookie taking the former first-round pick's role in the defense and limiting Bryan to an average of 16 snaps per game.

"I think that there’s production in that position. I think that the experience that he’s getting is going to be really valuable for him as far as the future and how he keeps working," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said about Costin on Wednesday.

"I think that he’s done well against the run and he’s had some bad [moments]. I always say this, if you ever played, you’re going to get beat, but he’s been very consistent in the way he works at it. His snaps obviously have gone up and that’s another thing that you’re looking at to see where that production level is in it."

As PFF noted, Costin has mostly been effective as a run defender. He has just six pressures, one quarterback hit, and zero sacks on his resume thus far this season. He has played just 321 defensive snaps (35%), so it isn't like he is getting a lot of pass-rush reps, but this is the one area he hasn't taken that next step in.

Marrone noted this on Wednesday, noting that is the one area the Jaguars are trying to develop a bit more with their young and developing rookie defensive tackle.

"I think that he’s performed at a good level, a level that is doing well. I think that if we can get a little bit more of the pass rush, develop that, but please don’t write that because when you say that about a player, then all of a sudden, they start thinking, ‘I have to start rushing the passer every time’," Marrone said.

"I’m happy with the progress. When you get anyone that’s a free agent, he comes in and he starts playing better than some of the other players you have, that’s a big plus, or minus depending on how you look at it.”

That last is an obvious tongue in cheek comment directed at Bryan, but it is important to note the Jaguars have been able to partially amend past draft mistakes like Bryan and Leonard Fournette with rookies such as Costin and Robinson.

On another team with more established talent in the middle of the defensive line, perhaps Costin wouldn't have made the 53-man roster and eventually got a chance as the starter. But like Robinson, he has made the most of his chances in Jacksonville and hasn't looked back.

"Doug’s a little bit like James [Robinson] as far as when he came in here with not a lot of opportunity, to continue to work, and I’ve always said this, to a point where we’re sitting there saying, ‘Hey listen, do we put him on the practice squad thinking that no one’s going to see him because we haven’t played any preseason games?’ We made a decision that let’s not even take our chances, let’s put him on there [the roster]," Marrone said.

"We saw something that we liked obviously in that period of time we’re in training camp and then just waiting for the opportunity to put him out there."