Way-Too-Early Depth Charts: Projecting the Jaguars' Linebacker Unit
For now, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the other 31 NFL clubs are restricted to a virtual world and have yet to take any fields together for offseason team activities. Competitions for starting roles have yet to be had but rest assured, they will still eventually be battled.
But with the season still scheduled as of today to begin on time, it can still be a worthwhile exercise to project how certain position groups may shape up come the regular season. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are set to trot out one of the league's youngest rosters in 2020, there are a number of positions that still needed to be sorted out from top to bottom, whether it be at the starting role or along the depth.
As this offseason progresses, we will take a look at each position and give our best guess as to what the depth chart will look like come September, or whenever the season does start.
We already covered the quarterbacks and running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, and the offensive line. Now, we will move to the defensive side of the ball and take a look at the linebackers, a position group which has seen a number of changes this offseason.
No position group on the Jaguars' roster struggled more than the linebackers in 2019. Whether it was injuries to starters and key backups or stretches of inconsistent play, Jacksonville was never able to find momentum at linebacker in the first year following former linebacker Telvin Smith's retirement.
To make up for the issues found at linebacker in 2019, the Jaguars mostly cleansed the roster of its linebacker group from last season sans a few starters and recent draft picks. In their place, the Jaguars have brought in athletic rookies and high-priced veterans, hoping the new additions can help the defense find more consistency at the second level.
There is still the question of what defensive scheme the Jaguars will actually deploy in 2020, but that doesn't matter as much for these purposes. Whether a 3-4 defense or a 4-3 defense, most defenses still deploy a middle, weak side, and strong side linebacker.
So, who should we expect to start at linebacker in 2020 and who will be the key backups? We take a look below.
Middle linebacker: Joe Schobert (starter), Shaquille Quarterman
After Myles Jack had spent the last two seasons delivering mixed results at middle linebacker, the Jaguars decided to be proactive in their approach to upgrading the linebacker corps. Their solution? 26-year-old Joe Schobert, a former Pro Bowler who has proven to be an impactful defender vs. both the run and the pass. Now, Schobert will be the new man in the middle for Jacksonville's defense, shifting Jack to the outside.
Schobert agreed to terms with the Jaguars in March for a five-year, $53.75 million contract which included $12 million signing bonus and $21.5 million guaranteed. In Schobert's four years in Cleveland, he recorded 408 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, six interceptions, and a staggering seven forced fumbles, along with 20 pass deflections. In 2019, Schobert started 16 games and totaled 133 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and nine pass deflections.
“We really feel great about the things Joe has been able to do and what he adds to our team,” said head coach Doug Marrone said when the team agreed to terms with Schobert. “He brings an ability to tackle and diagnose plays. He’s a true middle linebacker and has played it at a high level. He’s really going to help us, not only at the MIKE linebacker position, but he also helps us overall across our whole linebacking corps."
Meanwhile, Schobert will be backed up by 2020 fourth-round pick Shaquille Quarterman, who Jacksonville selected with the No. 140 overall pick in April. Quarterman brings a different skill set to the field than any other linebacker on the roster as he is primarily a downhill, thumping linebacker who specializes vs. the run. He isn't the rangy linebacker that Jack and Schobert are, but he is durable, tough, intelligent, and can provide leadership in the classroom and on special teams in year one.
Weak side linebacker: Myles Jack (starter), Quincy Williams (backup)
One of most intriguing players on Jacksonville's roster due to his special physical traits but occasionally uneven play, Myles Jack will be entering his fifth season in 2020 but just his first season at weak side linebacker. He has played strong side and middle linebacker during his first four years in Jacksonville, but struggles in 2019 have moved him to the outside and have taken some responsibilities off his plate.
The hope now is that Jack will be able to fly around and make plays instead of being too preoccupied with the responsibilities of the other 10 players on defense. Jack has terrific range and strength and is regarded by most in the locker room as one of the smartest players on the team, but giving him more freedom to make plays could realistically put Jack in a better position to produce in 2020.
“My goal for me coming in here is to just take things off of the plate, being able to set the defenses, make the calls, make the checks and their adjustments and let Myles just go be an athlete out there and wreck the game which he has the ability to when he doesn’t have to be caught up in trying to get other people lined up and be responsible for all that communication," Schobert said this offseason.
Behind Jack will be second-year linebacker Quincy Williams, who Jacksonville selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Williams is perhaps the most athletic player on Jacksonville's roster, but last year was his first true year playing linebacker after playing a hybrid safety role at Murray State in college.
Williams started eight games at weak side linebacker in 2019, recording 48 tackles and two tackles for loss. He will likely play a role on special teams thanks to his speed, though he needs more seasoning for a larger role on defense.
Strong side linebacker: K'Lavon Chaisson (starter), Leon Jacobs (primary backup), and Cassius Marsh (backup)
Veteran free agent signing Cassius Marsh revealed a few weeks ago that No. 20 overall pick K'Lavon Chaisson had been in the strong side linebacker room for virtual meetings, helping give us an idea of where Chaisson may play as a rookie. Chaisson will get plenty of chances to rush the passer, but the athletically gifted hybrid player also offers the skill set to defend against both the run and the pass that the Jaguars would need from the strong side linebacker in either a 3-4 or 4-3 defense.
“The thing about K’Lavon Chaisson that I really love is that he can play that SAM linebacker position in base downs and he can rush the quarterback. He can rush the quarterback from a 2-point stance, and you could argue whether he’s a better rusher out of a 3-point stance," head coach Doug Marrone said after the team selected Chaisson.
Behind Chaisson will be Marsh but in our opinion, the primary backup will be third-year linebacker Leon Jacobs. Jacobs isn't a dynamic athlete but he is a gifted run defender thanks to his brute strength when setting the edge, and he is a better pass rusher than given credit for. Marsh has more of a 3-4 outside linebacker skill set and is more athletic, but Jacobs gives the Jaguars a larger body on the outside to compliment the pass rushers on the other side.
