The State of the Jaguars Defensive Line Room

It’s time to head inside for our position by position breakdown and take a look at the big guys up front; the interior defensive linemen. This group can make or break a team, which is why the Jacksonville Jaguars have used first and third-round draft capital in the past two years alone.

The Jaguars defensive line developed a reputation during the 2017 AFC title game run, becoming the heartbeat of the team, providing a push up front as Sacksonville was born. The Jags were second in the league in total defense that season and finished with 55 sacks, and a large portion of that credit goes to the interior line.

For every defensive end that lands a sack, there’s a lineman that helped hold a block inside to make it happen. However, only Abry Jones still remains from that 2017 unit. Jones, originally signed by Jacksonville as an undrafted free again in 2013, was re-signed in 2017 and has started games periodically in the past.

Over the following two years, General Manager Dave Caldwell and Head Coach Doug Marrone began to rebuild the stronghold, drafting Florida’s Taven Bryan in the first round (29th overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft. During this spring's 2020 NFL Draft, while using their 12 picks largely on defense, the Jags took Ohio State’s DaVon Hamilton in the third round (73 overall).

Bryan was used sparingly in his rookie season, rotating in for 29% of defensive snaps behind Jones and Marcell Dareus. His second year saw a marked uptick in production. He played nearly half of the time (46% of defensive snaps), started eight games and finished with 33 tackles including five for loss and two sacks.

There was time to bring Bryan along with incumbent starters in place. But his third year marks the end of the honeymoon period. Alongside Jones—who will most likely stay in place following his 31 tackle, two sack 2019 season—this will be the year Bryan is asked to go from a young player learning the defense to a long term starter option. The Wyoming Wild Man can be a wrecking ball in the middle of a line. Jacksonville will need him to do just that as they start to see their unit come together.

As mentioned, Jones might not be a MVP but he’s solid and can continue to be a steady piece as more around him come along. To help provide a little more experience though, the Jaguars brought in Al Woods during the offseason. The journeyman is entering his 11th year in the league and on a one-year deal in Jacksonville.

Woods' most recent stint with the Seattle Seahawks was his most productive yet (31 tackles, one sack, two fumble recoveries in five starts) and that time under Pete Carroll's defense will give him at least a base understanding of defensive coordinator Todd Wash’s system, which was built by Carroll and Gus Bradley.

Hamilton came to Jacksonville via a stellar senior season on one of the nation’s most-watched teams. In his final year with the Buckeye’s, Hamilton notched 28 total tackles—including 10.5 for loss—and six sacks along with a fumble recovery. With Bryan and Jones farther up the depth chart, Hamilton has an opportunity to rotate in for depth and acclimate to the pro level. At 320 lbs., he’s fast for his size and can be a spark player on situational downs.

Jacksonville finished last season in the bottom five of the league in rushing defense, an area that will have to be addressed and start up front. On a young team, the interior defensive line is one area that comes into the 2020 season with a little more experience under their belt. Parlaying that into production can help set the tone for the entire defense as the season begins.