Jags Double Down on Defense in Draft
In 2015 the Jaguars offense was arguably the surprise story of the season, as they featured one of the deadliest aerial attacks in the league. Several of their young players came on strong as originally hoped when they were drafted (or signed in Allen Hurns’ case). With the mix of emerging quarterback Blake Bortles, Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson, red zone monster Julius Thomas, versatile running back T.J. Yeldon, and the aforementioned Allen Hurns, the Jags seemed poised to take the league by storm similar to that of the 2000 Rams. Just one problem – their defense.
On the other side of the ball in 2015, Jacksonville was a complete and utter mess. Fans with their head in the sand would like to chalk it up to the fact that their first round pick – edge rusher Dante Fowler – tore his ACL during OTA’s, but in reality the issues with their defense ranged far beyond one player. At each of the three levels of defense they were lacking in depth and talent. In hopes of sparing you the painful details, I’ll give you the two big numbers… As a team they finished 31st in points allowed and finished 23rd in total defense. No matter how good an offense is; horrific defensive metrics such as those will derail any playoff hopeful franchise.
In an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, Jags GM David Caldwell and the rest of the war room made it a point to overhaul this defense in the offseason. They began by signing the best defensive free agent on the market in Malik Jackson – arguably the Broncos most disruptive force during the playoffs. Jackson’s presence alone will bring a new attitude to the struggling Jaguars defense, but when they added safety Tashaun Gipson to the mix, I knew they meant business entering 2016. With a new veteran presence at two levels of the defense, all the Jags had left to do was draft. The goal was obvious – inject young and talented players into the rest of the holes on that side of the ball – and boy did they ever deliver…
1st Round
Well built, ultra-athletic, instinctive, versatile; a man whom many considered the best player in the draft, somehow Florida State’s defensive weapon Jalen Ramsey slid all the way to the Jaguars at No. 5 overall. Considering their dire needs on that side of the ball, Jacksonville all but sprinted up to the podium to turn in their card when they saw Ramsey still on the board when they were picking in the first round.
My scouting report on Ramsey has always been simple enough to understand, but equally mind-blowing at the same time… “Blitzing ability of a linebacker, hits like a safety, and covers like a corner.” The best of what you are going to get from Ramsey can be shown in his game against Miami in 2014 where he was roaming around, blitzing hot, and just flat-out making plays from the safety position.
While word is that the Jags would like to play Ramsey at corner initially, the amount of game-changing plays that he made in this game alone gives me the feeling that eventually he will end up playing safety in the NFL, ultimately providing the biggest impact possible at that position for the rest of his career going forward.
2nd Round
After a steal with their first round pick in Jalen Ramsey at No. 5, somehow the Jags ended up with an even bigger steal in the second round, as they managed to have Myles Jack – linebacker out of UCLA and the No. 1 player on my board – fall into their lap.
To put in the simplest of terms, Jack is on another planet athletically. He is the only player in Pac-12 history to win Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, as he starred both at running back and at linebacker during his time with the UCLA Bruins. If he were to enter the draft as a running back instead of linebacker, he would still have been drafted in the first three rounds. That’s just how good he is.
Make no mistake, though, Jack’s best position is at weakside linebacker, where he would have the freedom to roam in space and just flat-out make plays. With the Jaguars, he could fit in anywhere from the Mike, to the Sam, to even strong safety, but would be unlikely to plug in as the Jags starting Leo due to the position’s primarily pass rushing responsiblities. His talent level is so diverse that he could make an impact as a Leo, but would be limited to splash plays situationally.
Jack’s money attribute: Coverage.
Now mark my words here… I have never seen a better linebacker in coverage in my entire life. Yup, better than Luke Kuechly, Sean Lee, Thomas Davis, Derrick Brooks, NaVorro Bowman, you name it, Jack has the potential to, and might already be, better than all of them in man-up coverage. His lateral speed is unbelievable, his footwork is terrific, his confidence is off the charts, and he uses just the proper amount of hands in coverage to keep receivers uncomfortable. Jack is so good in coverage that at one point during 2014, he was tasked to stay man-up on USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor. He locked down Agholor for the entirety of the matchup, holding him to zero catches. This is a receiver mind you, who went on to become a first-round pick in the draft the following April. Here’s an example of how talented and instinctive Jack is in coverage. You can see him line up in the slot against a wide receiver, track the ball the entire way, and pluck it out of the air like a natural offensive playmaker. After the catch, it’s off to the races, as his history as a running back always shows when the ball is in his hands…
As for the reason as to why Jack fell so dramatically in the draft, many worried that the knee injury that he suffered last October had never healed properly. Many team doctors suspect that microfracture surgery is in his future, which took him off of many draft boards across the league. With the Jaguars recognizing that they could be just a few defensive players away from being contenders, they just couldn’t pass up on the most talented player in the draft. It appears as though Jack will be ready for training camp and that the Jaguars may have come away with two of the biggest steals in the entire draft.
3rd Round
The third round is where they went with their gut and less with consensus board value, as many would argue that the selection of Yannick Ngakoue – edge rusher out of Maryland – was a bit of a reach for the Jaguars. I however will not be critical, as those who understand their draft strategy should realize the value that Ngakoue will bring this ever-developing Jaguars defense.
The ultimate criticism on Ngakoue is his lack of a complete game. He’s incredibly raw in many aspects of football – particularly against the run – however he is relentless in the pass rush. He finished tied for second in sacks in the entire NCAA last year with 13.5, as he used an efficient speed rush and never quit motor to harass the quarterback regularly.
With the Jags, Ngakoue will likely settle in as a rotational sub-package pass rushing specialist. He will not be expected to play much, if at all, against the run, but rather will have every opportunity to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. Expect some reps for him at the Otto linebacker position, as the responsibilities there nearly mirror his skillset.
4th Round
In the fourth, the Jags got back to defensive value selections, as they got another steal in Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day. Day has as much talent as any first round defensive lineman taken, but he slid mainly due to size concerns. He’s just barely over 6-foot and comes in a shade under 300 lbs., and for a position where players seem to keep getting bigger, the hesitation for teams to take him earlier is reasonable.
His game is predicated on an explosive first step, inside speed, lateral quickness, and excellent handwork. He proved to be a disruptive force on Notre Dame’s elite-level defense, and even showed a surprising effectiveness when dropping into coverage on zone blitzes. Day is No. 91 in the highlight below, and also sports some mean dreads.
Day will start with the Jaguars as a depth player, serving as a perfect understudy to newly acquired Malik Jackson, expect him to get plenty of work on rotational sub-packages early on, while he eventually projects into a starting three-technique.
6th Round
In a similar selection to Yannick Ngakoue in the third, the Jags took another pass rushing specialist in the sixth round. Tyrone Holmes – edge rusher out of Montana – led the FCS in sacks in 2015 with a whopping 18 quarterback takedowns. At 6-foot-4, 250 lbs., Holmes looks perfectly built for the Jags currently vacant Otto linebacker spot.
With a gifted ability to get from the line of scrimmage to the quarterback’s plant spot, Holmes will likely be packaged to face one-on-one’s along the edge. While his impact won’t be instantly felt, Holmes projects to be a potentially situational sack master. A lot about his game will be learned during training camp, but in the sixth round, this was an upside that the Jags couldn’t pass on.
7th Round
To complete the Jags stellar draft, they even found decent defensive value in the seventh round. Jonathan Woddard – defensive end out of Central Arkansas – is built on a frame that has plenty of room to still fill out. He’s 6-foot-6, 271 lbs. and appears to only be scratching the surface on his full body potential. He’s fast, strong, and has arm length that the aforementioned Sheldon Day would kill for. Sure he’s raw as all hell, but with proper coaching teammate competition, there is hope that Woddard can one day develop into an NFL contributor.
To conclude matters here, the Jaguars had a game plan entering the draft and they executed it to the highest degree. They possessed an excellent offense in 2015, but their defense derailed their chances for the playoffs. The Jaguars set out to beef up that side of the ball during this offseason, and they came away with two key free agents and a host of capable draft picks. In a draft of seven selections, six of the Jaguars choices came on the defensive side of the ball. Their front office made it clear that in 2016 they are coming for the AFC South crown and they will be doing it by way of punishing quarterbacks.