Pre-Draft Jaguars Position Primers: Does ILB Need More Additions or Is the Room Set?

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 one of the Jaguars' strongest positions: inside linebacker.

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On the roster: Myles Jack, Joe Schobert, Shaquille Quarterman, Quincy Williams, Nate Evans, Joe Giles-Harris, Dakota Allen, Chapelle Russell, Leon Jacobs, Damien Wilson

The Jaguars are essentially returning the exact same linebacker room they put onto the field in 2020. There are few new faces, and all but three players in the room have at least started one game in the NFL. The Jaguars' defensive staff may be brand new, but the Jaguars as an organization have seen most of the linebackers play plenty of games over the years. The room will of course be led by two of Jacksonville's highest-paid players in Myles Jack and Joe Schobert.

Jack had arguably the best season of his career in 2020, starting 14 games and collecting 118 tackles, six tackles for loss, five pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one sack. He will man one of the Jaguars' two off-ball linebacker positions, but this will be his first time in an NFL defense that isn't the Jaguars' old 4-3 under scheme.

Schobert was the Jaguars' lone major free agent addition in 2020 as he took over middle linebacker and helped Jack move to the weak side. He struggled in the first half of the season but his play greatly improved over the second half as he became more comfortable in the defensive scheme. He ended 141 tackles, six tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and four pass deflections.

"I’ve seen plenty of tape on both of them. I look at Myles Jack, he’s a guy that’s very fluid. A guy that can get downhill, very athletic and a guy who’s really good at open space," Jaguars assistant head coach and inside linebacker coach Charlie Strong said in February when he was introduced.

"Yesterday Joe [Schobert] came by to see me for the first time. We sat down and talked a long time and [it’s] the same thing with Joe. You’re looking at two ‘backers that are kind of in the prime of their career because the length of time that they have been in the NFL, but guys that can make plays and guys that will become the staple of our defense. If you’re not good at linebacker, then you really don’t have much of a chance to play really good defense. [I’m] really, really looking forward to coaching both of them because they want to learn. You can tell they’re learners, they want to learn, and they want to get better. It’s all about creating value and those guys want to create value for themselves and they want to become the best.”

Behind the veteran duo, the Jaguars have a pair of former draft picks in 2019 third-rounder Quincy Williams and 2020 fourth-rounder Shaquille Quarterman. Williams was drafted to play weak side linebacker and started eight games as a rookie. The addition of Schobert moved Williams to a backup role and injuries forced him to suit up for just seven games. Quarterman appeared in 12 games as Schobert's back up and recorded six special teams tackles.

Other players in the Jaguars' linebacker room with starting experience include Leon Jacobs, who has started 12 games at strong side linebacker in three years but suffered a season-ending ACL tear in 2020; Damiel Wilson, the offseason veteran addition who started two Super Bowls for the Kansas City Chiefs and is a thumper inside; Joe Giles-Harris, one of the unsung players on the Jaguars' 2020 team after he became an impact player at strong side linebacker; and finally, Dakota Allen, who recorded 18 tackle and started two games when Jack was injured last season.

Offseason additions: Damien Wilson

The lone addition the Jaguars have made at the linebacker position this offseason, Damien Wilson isn't a shoo-in to be on the field for a large volume of defensive snaps, but he doesn't have to be to bring value. Instead, Wilson gives the Jaguars experienced depth and a player who knows what winning looks like.

Ultimately Wilson is the most experienced and seasoned member of the Jaguars' linebacker room, and he is coming off two years starting in the Chiefs' system. He is a lot like the members of the Jaguars' roster and coaching staff who came from the Baltimore Ravens in the sense that he at least understands what it takes for a franchise to reach the postseason.

As of right now he likely figures in best as depth behind Jack and Schobert, but he has enough experience as a starter that he could be a third option if the team ever wants to experiment. In 93 games played (51 starts), Wilson has notched 249 tackles, 4.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. In 2020, Wilson recorded 70 tackles in 13 games (all starts) with the Chiefs.

Offseason subtractions: N/A.

It isn't surprising there is nobody included on this list. Most of the players in the Jaguars' linebacker room last season were either on rookie contracts that were not in their final deals or they were expensive veterans in the middle of their contracts (Jack and Schobert).

With that said, the Jaguars will likely have to see which one of their current linebackers fits into their future plans once they actually get them on the field. The Jaguars could also draft a linebacker with one of their 10 picks in this week's NFL Draft, which would push even more players toward the roster bubble.

Biggest question facing position before the draft: How will some of the current pieces fit into the new scheme?

The biggest thing the Jaguars need to determine before the draft is how well they think their current pieces in the linebacker room will fit in defensive coordinator Joe Cullen's scheme, which he is bringing over from Baltimore. It will be a radically different scheme than the one that each of the Jaguars' linebackers -- other than Wilson -- was added to fit into.

"It's a hybrid," Cullen told Jaguars.com earlier this month about this new scheme. "It's a 3-4 base but we're going to end up in a lot of 4-3 looks and basically you kind of suit it to your personnel. Now, we have a feel what we're getting to, but it will be based on what we do and what our personnel can do."

Some of the Jaguars' current linebackers already make perfect sense in the new defense. Quarterman, for example, was a player the Ravens were interested in last season, so it stands to reason he fits in Cullen's scheme. Jack is athletic enough to fit any defense, while Schobert has experience in a 3-4 and 4-3.

But some of the team's other linebackers, such as Williams, Jacobs, and Giles-Harris, still need to sort out their roles in the new defense. The Jaguars should have a plan for all of these players and how they may or may not fit the scheme.

Draft prospects who fit: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jamin Davis, Jabril Cox, Baron Browning, Monty Rice

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah would be one of the smallest linebackers in the NFL but it didn't stop him from being the most explosive playmaker on the field in college. He can cover, hit and run, play man-to-man with tight ends, and is physical despite his lack of size. He is the type of versatile defender the Jaguars' scheme could be a perfect match for.

Jamin Davis, Jabril Cox and Baron Browing are all high-upside athletic linebackers who would instantly give the Jaguars a jolt of energy and athleticism. Davis is the most pro-ready of the three, but Cox is the best pure cover man. Browning is going to take some development, but he is a former Ohio State Buckeye with elite testing numbers.