As Teams Follow Eagles Template, Historic D-Line Draft Could Benefit Jaguars

ESPN analyst has 31 defensive linemen in his top 100 players, including projected Jaguars selection Mason Graham

Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham celebrates after sacking Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer, in the background, during first-half action between Michigan and Minnesota at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dominance on the defensive line was Philadelphia’s ticket to a Super Bowl title. As a result, expect teams like Jacksonville with established quarterbacks to use the Eagles’ architectural template.

This is a great year to do it, too. The 2025 draft features historic depth on the defensive line, according to ESPN draft expert Matt Miller.

“I have 31 defensive ends and defensive tackles in my top 100 players,” Miller said on Wednesday’s edition of NFL Live. “That has never happened in the 15 years I've been covering the draft. That's never happened.”

One of those top 100 is Mason Graham, a unanimous All-America defensive tackle who helped Michigan win the national championship. In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Field Yates has Graham to the Jaguars at No. 5 in the first round.

“Graham is one of my top three players,” Yates said, “as he combines elite quickness off the ball as an interior disrupter and the strength to change the complexion of a run defense. From the day he stepped onto Michigan's campus, he was a difference-maker. He could be that again in Jacksonville between Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.”

Hines-Allen and Walker missed that difference-maker in their pass rush last season. The Jaguars allowed 7.54 yards per pass play and 257.4 passing yards per game, both dead last in the league. They were 28th with 34 sacks.

The other effect of Philadelphia’s dominance is how it’ll influence free-agency spending on defensive lines. Josh Sweat and Milton Williams are both looking to parlay big Super Bowl performances into big free-agent contracts. Teams could invest more heavily on their defensive lines than they would prior to Philadelphia’s Super Bowl.

Settling on a defensive-line strategy will certainly be a top priority for Jacksonville’s new general manager. And if the team can’t agree on free-agency fit or asking price, the draft has plenty of hope.

“We might see 10 to 12 picks in the first round that are spent just on the defensive line because of what Philadelphia has done,” Miller said. “There's something for everyone with defensive ends and defensive tackles.”

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