The Jacksonville Jaguars revamped the roster in the offseason but didn't make nearly enough upgrades on defense as they did on the offensive side of the ball. An NFL voice argues that it could be their undoing in 2025.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report took a look at every team's worst-case scenario on defense and believes that the Jags' dearth of investments on that side of the ball could hold them back next season, noting that drafting Travis Hunter may not be nearly enough.
"Outside of drafting Hunter, the biggest move he made on defense was adding a pair of 30-year-old free agents in Eric Murray and Lewis," Ballentine wrote. "Early indications have the Jaguars focusing Hunter at wide receiver, so the question is, how much better is the defense if Lewis and Murray are the biggest additions?"
Ballentine continued, "Jacksonville has also changed defensive coordinators from Ryan Nielsen to Anthony Campanile. If the 42-year-old isn't the driving force behind a turnaround, then Gladstone is going to learn the hard way that he needs a larger investment in the defense."
Under Ryan Nielsen, the Jags ranked 27th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed. Moreover, they were 25th in third-round completion rate allowed, and their 34 sacks ranked 28th in the league. Looking back, there were many reasons for their underwhelming performance.
For starters, Nielsen rubbed players the wrong way with his arrogant demeanor. Then, the team's brass released Darious Williams in a cap-saving move and replaced him with Ronald Darby, who was benched at the midpoint of the season. Edge rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker were asked to put on unnecessary weight, while Arik Armstead, who excels at wreaking havoc at defensive tackle, mostly lined up on the edge. Last but not least, injuries exposed the team's lack of depth.
Not surprisingly, Nielsen got the boot in the offseason, and the Jags hired Anthony Campbell to replace him. So far, players have responded well, and there's a reason to believe the defense will make noticeable strides in the offseason.
Josh Hines-Allen is confident in the changes the Jaguars made on defense
While it's true that Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray were the biggest acquisitions on defense, the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't need to make drastic changes and instead only made a few notable tweaks.
The front office signed Dawuane Smoot, Derrick Gardick, and Dawuane Smoot after the draft. The trio will round out their pass-rush rotation. Caleb Ransaw, a third-round selection, has made a strong impression and should start next to Eric Murray at some point in the season. More importantly, the Jags already had a solid core in place. Josh Hines-Allen said as much during a visit to the Rich Eisen show.
"Defensively, we got a good, solid group. I love Coach camp. He's somebody that you want to play for, who brings, you know, you get the coaches that scream and kind of like, alright. And then he screams one day, and he doesn't scream," Hines Allen told Rich Eisen. "No, this dude's intense, but he shows the passion and love that He has for the game and for us. That makes us want to play for him.
Hines-Allen continued, "It makes us want to understand the defense a little bit faster for him. So that's always a good sign. That's always a good trait to have in a coach. And that's what I'm saying. I think we're in a good position. I'm ready to maximize off the value that I can bring to this defense and just be the best defensive player I can be."
Below is Hines-Allen's full exchange with Eisen. His remarks about the defense start at the 12:24 mark.
Ultimately, there's nowhere to go but up for the Jaguars defense. If they can make a few spots at key moments and create more turnovers than last year, Jacksonville should be in good shape.
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