Jaguars Week 10 Mailbag: Does the Defense Have Its DTs of the Future?

We are officially halfway through the Jacksonville Jaguars' 2020 schedule and new storylines are being formed each and every week. This is no different following the Week 9 27-25 loss to the Houston Texans in Jacksonville.

To get a feel for the direction the Jaguars are heading in, and which storylines are taking centerstage, we took to social media to take questions on Jake Luton, DaVon Hamilton, and more.

Q: It looked like Doug Costin and DaVon Hamilton dominated the Texans OL. Are they the Jaguars' defensive tackles of the future?

A: It may be too soon to make any proclamation like that but the Jaguars have to feel great about the development of each rookie. Jacksonville was getting zero production out of Taven Bryan and Abry Jones is just an average starter at this point in his career, so finding two young talents at both nose tackle and three-technique could be a boon for the Jaguars considering the misses they have had on the defensive line over the last few years. Costin and Hamilton truly did dominate Houston's interior offensive line, combining for seven pressures and making several plays against the run.

A larger sample size is needed for both Hamilton and Costin, but they have at least shown extremely impressive flashes up to this point. It wouldn't be a total surprise if both start in 2021 as long as they continue their current trajectories and improve throughout the next eight games.

Q: Do you think the Jaguars will win 1 or more games with the brutal 2nd half schedule they have?

A: It is tough to find a win on there, but I do think they win at least one more game. The only team they play over the second half of the season that is below .500 is the Minnesota Vikings, and it appears they are getting hot at the right time anyway. With that said, the Jaguars have two games left that I think are potential wins: the home date vs. the Chicago Bears and Week 17 at the Indianapolis Colts. The Bears have a putrid offense and a turnover-prone quarterback in Nick Foles, while the Colts have struggled to put up points of their own this season. If the Jaguars win any more games this year, I think it will be one of those two.

Q: If the Jaguars win any game and fail to get Fields, will they take Zach Wilson at 3/4/5 or with the Rams pick? Will Wilson fall there or to the second round?

A: I do not think Zach Wilson gets out of the top-6 picks. He continues to pick up major steam with each week and dominant passing performance, and there is no reason to think that changes considering the easy schedule BYU has. If the Jaguars are to pick Wilson at any point, it would almost certainly have to be with their first pick. Athletic quarterbacks with big arms rarely last long, especially when they are getting the attention that Wilson is.

Q: Who are targets for our new GM, HC, and DC?

A: If I were the one calling the shots, here is what I would do.

GM: Kansas City Chiefs Director of Football Operations Mike Borgonzi. I am a firm believer that to find a general manager/team builder who is capable of building a team from the ground up, teams should look to the successful teams in the NFL and how they do it. There is a reason the Chiefs have had so many front office executives poached over the years (Chris Ballard), and Borgonzi is the next natural choice to move up the ladder. Jacksonville may want a general manager with previous experience in the event they actually do replace Dave Caldwell, which is far from a guarantee. But Borgonzi has plenty of front office experience, working for the Chiefs since 2009 and holding multiple roles.

HC: Dave Toub. Yep, another Chiefs pick. This is partially due to the success the Chiefs have had over the last six to seven years (even before Patrick Mahomes), but it doesn't matter what team Dave Toub coaches -- he is a fantastic head coach candidate regardless of his situation. Kansas City's assistant head coach and special teams coordinator under Andy Reid, Toub has had plenty of interviews over recent years but has yet to secure a head coaching job. With that said, he has decades of experience, is known by the Chiefs as one of their most knowledgeable coaches and best leaders, and we have seen special teams coordinators have success as head coaches in recent years. Toub may not be a sexy pick, but he would be the right one.

DC: Teryl Austin. The current senior defenisve assistant/secondary coach and former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator got hype as a head coach candidate a few years ago but has since fizzled out. Austin has been a key member of Pittsburgh's defensive staff for the last three seasons and has likely picked up quite a few key tricks on running an aggressive and multiple defense, something the Jaguars will badly need out of their new DC.

Q: Does Takk McKinley go to the Jags?

A: I don't think so. The Jaguars didn't push back much on Jabaal Sheard leaving the team for the New York Giants because they wanted Josh Allen, Dawuane Smoot and K'Lavon Chaisson to get reps for their developments. I don't think the Jaguars' minds would have changed on this just three weeks later. For 2020, expect for the current defensive ends to be who the Jaguars roll with as long as they are healthy.

Q: If Luton plays the same level he played Sunday until Minshew becomes healthy, do we stick Minshew back in the huddle?

A: I don't think so. Luton wasn't fantastic by any means on Sunday, but he was perfectly adequate considering it was his first-ever NFL snaps. Unless the wheels come off the offense while he is starting, I think Luton remains the starting quarterback, even with a healthy Minshew. Jacksonville has seen Minshew make nearly 20 starts now, so they more or less know what they have in him. The same can't be said for Luton, however.

Q: Davon Hamilton seems to be developing nicely. Do you think what he’s doing would translate the same into a 3-4?

A: I do, largely because he has a skill set that should translate to most defensive schemes. He has more range than one would expect from a nose tackle of his size, making a lot of tackles that are several yards away from him when the play began. Add his power at the point of attack, which has shown up consistently over the last two games, and I think Hamilton is a perfect fit for a 0-shade defensive tackle. Jacksonville aligns its nose tackle on the center's shoulder, but so far Hamilton has done nothing to suggest he couldn't anchor when playing head up on a center.

Q: Will Josh Lambo be available in 2021?

A: Yes. Lambo said himself on social media that he will be good to go in 2021. His reoccurring hip injuries have taken away his 2020 season, but Jacksonville's elite kicker will be back kicking field goals in 2021.

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