Jaguars Training Camp Preview: Defensive Line

Which interior defensive linemen are set to play a big role for the Jaguars this season?

John Shipley | Jul 16, 2022

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Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a couple of weeks away from kicking off Doug Pederson’s first training camp at the helm, giving us plenty of time to take a look at each of the team’s position groups before the 2022 season.

Jacksonville wasn’t afraid to make a number of big moves on both sides of the ball this offseason, both via free agency and the draft. Now, they have a new-look roster that contrasts in a big way from the roster we saw the team field in Week 1 of 2021.

Next up: the defensive line. What does it look like today, what changes did the Jaguars make, and what needs to be addressed ahead of camp?

The depth chart

Foley Fatukasi

Age/Experience: 27/fifth season

2021 Stats:

46 tackles
Five tackles for loss
Six quarterback hits
15 pressures
3.9% pressure rate

One of the biggest additions the Jaguars made this offseason was signing New York Jets defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi in free-agency. While Fatukasi has just three career sacks, the 2018 sixth-round pick has worked his way from late-round draft pick into a dependable and impactful starter along the defensive line.

It is clear the Jaguars will be leaning on Fatukasi to be an impact player from Day 1 just he is the biggest investment the Jaguars put into the defensive line room this offseason. He brings leadership and physicality to the defensive line room and should be expected to be a Day 1 starter in Mike Caldwell's defensive scheme.

"I think real important. I think real important. Again, after going through the process and the coaching staff in the personnel staff, looking at a run stopper -- and he's more than a run-stopper, he can play on third down, he can push the pocket and he's done that," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said in March.

While Fatukasi is expected to shine as a run-stopper, he is an ascending player who has the potential to be even more than that. Per NextGenStats, he is one of eight players who had 15 run stuffs and 15 pressures in 2021.

Roy Robertson-Harris

Age/Experience: 29/sixth season.

2021 Stats:

37 tackles
Four tackles for loss
Three sacks
Nine quarterback hits
27 pressures
9.2% pressure rate

Robertson-Harris signed to a three-year, $24.4 million deal with $14 million in guarantees last March and ended the season on a hot streak. Five of his pressures came in his final three games and nearly all of his pass-rush production came in the second-half of the season, a reflection of him returning to full strength after an early-season ankle injury.

The Jaguars will lean on Robertson-Harris again in 2022, with the veteran defensive lineman being seen as a leader of the unit after an impressive offseason. Robertson-Harris consistently stood out during spring practices, which is impressive considering pads were not even on.

“Roy [Robertson-Harris] is going to be a leader," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said at the end of OTAs.

"I like to talk to guys and as coaches, we always say, the leaders are doing things the right way and making plays on the field. Those guys become your leaders. A leader is going to be guys that work hard and hold everyone else accountable to work hard also. We have guys that are stepping up into that role and so far I have been pleased with leadership.”

Malcom Brown

Age/Experience: 28/eighth season.

2021 Stats:

57 tackles
Four tackles for loss
Two sacks
Three quarterback hits
13 pressures
4.4% pressure rate

A player who commands a lot of respect in the locker room thanks to his experience, leadership and consistency, Malcom Brown was everything the Jaguars hoped he would be last year. He is a solid starting nose tackle who can plug holes against the run, but any pass-rush he gives you is likely an added bonus.

Still, Brown is a player who is capable of both one- and two-gapping, and the fact the Jaguars are remaining in a 3-4 defense helps his fit. Brown wasn't 100% for the Jaguars' spring program, but he figures to once again play a role in the running down rotation, and could be the favorite to start at nose tackle on base downs.

Adam Gotsis

Age/Experience: 29/seventh season.

2021 Stats:

27 tackles
Six tackles for loss
Three sacks
Seven quarterback hits
15 pressures
7.4% pressure rate

One of the most underrated performers of the Jaguars' defense over the last two seasons, there is a strong argument to make for Adam Gotsis as the team's best overall defensive linemen during that period. The former Denver Broncos second-round pick has proven to be a strong run defender who can also add to the pass-rush, giving him legit credibility as a three-down player.

One of the biggest pluses with Gotsis is his versatility. He has the ability to line up over guards on third-down while also lining up over offensive tackles on running downs, giving the Jaguars flexibility with his alignment on a down-to-down basis.

Gotsis was a player the Jaguars were determined to bring back this offseason, something they were able to do when they signed him to a one-year deal before the spring program began. Gotsis has a chance to compete for a starting role in 2022, but he figures to be a big part of the rotation no matter what.

DaVon Hamilton

Age/Experience: 25/third season.

2021 Stats:

46 tackles
Two tackles for loss
One sack
Two quarterback hits
One fumble recovery
Eight pressures
5.2% pressure rate

A third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, DaVon Hamilton has proven he has a solid floor and a high ceiling. While he may not be an every-down player or someone who will put up a lot of pass-rush stats, he is a consistent force against the run and has proven the ability to wreck running games when he is at his absolute best.

Hamilton has had some highlight performances in the past and could even be looked at as a potential starter at nose tackle, though the Jaguars do have two other similar players at the position in Brown and Fatukasi. Still, Hamilton has turned in two strong seasons in a row as a run defender, and the scheme remaining a 3-4 should only help him.

Arden Key

Age/Experience: 26/fifth season.

2021 Stats:

22 tackles
Five tackles for loss
6.5 sacks
17 quarterback hits
30 pressures
13.1% pressure rate

One of the most underrated additions to the entire Jaguars' defense this season was the signing of Arden Key to a one-year, $4 million deal with $3 million in guarantees. Key took a number of visits before signing with the Jaguars, reflecting a league-wide interest in his services.

Key, who was coached by Jaguars defensive line coach Brentson Buckner in 2019, had a career resurgence with the 49ers last season. In 17 regular-season games in 2021, Key set career-highs in sacks (6.5), tackles for loss (5), quarterback hits (17), and pressures (36).

Originally a third-round selection (No. 87) by the Raiders in the 2018 NFL Draft, Key has appeared in 54 games in his career, starting 10. During that time he has recorded 9.5 sacks, 43 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss, and 104 pressures.

Key should be expected to line up both inside and outside for the Jaguars this season. It is unlikely he will be a true starter unless injuries occur, but he is primed for a major role as a rotational pass-rusher.

Jay Tufele

Age/Experience: 22/second season.

2021 Stats:

Two tackles

There were not many chances for Jay Tufele to make an impact as a rookie. A fourth-round pick (No. 106 overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft, out of Southern California, Tufele played sparingly for the Jaguars before an injury in the middle of the year, playing just 13 snaps in his lone active game in Week 5. Tufele was activated for Week 6 vs. the Dolphins and was slated to have a role in the defensive rotation, but he sustained a hand injury during pre-game drills and would later require surgery.

Tufele played 41 snaps in three games during the final six weeks of the season, but he was never a starter, with the Jaguars instead attempting to get something out of former first-round bust Taven Bryan. Bryan ended up having just one standout game, leaving Tufele's time on the bench mostly a waste.

The Salt Lake City native opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns after his sister was hit hard by the virus. In his previous two years, Tufele recorded 65 tackles (36 solo) with the Trojans, including 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. In 2019, he earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors and won USC Defensive Lineman of the Year for the second consecutive season when he recorded 42 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss. In 2018, Tufele posted 23 tackles and was named to Phil Steele’s All-Pac-12 Second Team

Raequan Williams

Age/Experience: 25/third season.

2021 Stats:

Two tackles
One start

A former Eagle defensive lineman who appeared in six games and recorded a sack in 2020 under Doug Pederson, Raequan Williams saw just 43 snaps on defense with the Eagles last season. He is a young lineman who Pederson has history with after the 2020 season, but he is another player who should be considered a long-shot to make the roster.

Jeremiah Ledbetter

Age/Experience: 28/sixth season.

2021 Stats: N/A.

A veteran journeyman lineman who didn't appear in a game in 2021 after signing to Arizona's practice squad, Jeremiah Ledbetter is a reserve lineman who Mike Caldwell knows well after he spent time with Tampa Bay in 2018, 2019 and 2020, earning a ring with Tampa Bay in 2020 as a backup lineman. He is a long-shot to make the roster, but he does give the Jaguars a reserve lineman who has experience in the scheme.

Israel Antwine (R)

Age/Experience: 22/first season.

2021 Stats: N/A.

The only rookie in the defensive line room ahead of training camp, Israel Antwine started 25 games for Oklahoma State's defense over the last three years. He led all OSU interior linemen with four tackles for loss and three sacks in 2021. He has a steep climb to make the roster but could be the next young linemen the Jaguars attempt to stash and develop on special teams.

How the room changed this offseason

The Jaguars are returning a host of defensive linemen from a year ago, including 2021 additions Roy Robertson-Harris and Malcom Brown, along with DaVon Hamilton, Jay Tufele, and Adam Gotsis. But aside from the core five the Jaguars retained, there are two new faces who will play very significant roles in Foley Fatukasi and Arden Key.

Fatukasi, who the Jaguars signed to a three-year, $30 million deal with $20 million in guaranteed money, established himself with the Jets as a top-level run-defender when he is at his very best. Fatukasi appeared in 45 career games for the Jets, starting 23 over the last two seasons. He recorded 18 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits, three sacks, and a forced fumble, and he is expected to step into a starting role right away as the Jaguars look to stop the running games of the Colts and Titans.

"Just look at our division, you know? And it's very important, very important to be able to stop the run," Pederson said in March following free agency.

"And, look, anytime you have the ability to make an opponent one dimensional, you know, again, you look at our division, there's some really good running backs in our division, and we have to do that. That's something we have to do, and it felt like we got better there."

Key, meanwhile, is set to play a much different role than Fatukasi. He can be an edge defender on base downs, but most of his work with the Jaguars has been with the defensive line group as opposed to with the outside linebackers like Josh Allen and Travon Walker.

Key has the flexibility to line up over guards on passing downs, giving the Jaguars an interior rusher who proved to be havoc for blockers during his career-best 2021 season.

“Arden’s going to be, gosh, he’s going to be, again one of these versatile defensive linemen. Whether he’s playing on the edge or playing inside, it brings some value on third down obviously, the pass rush," Pederson said during OTAs.

"And [he’s] a rotational guy, a guy that we can [use to] keep d-line fresh throughout the course of the game and these guys don’t have to play 75, 80 percent of the snaps. You can really spread it around. I think the year we [Philadelphia Eagles] won the Super Bowl, guys like [Eagles DT] Fletcher Cox and [Eagles DE] Brandon Graham are only playing 60, 65 percent of the snaps because we were rotating guys. That’s what you have to have are guys that can come in and contribute and he’ll be one of those guys.”

The biggest storyline surrounding the group following the offseason

Can the Jaguars' new scheme blend with their mix of new and returning players to turn the defensive line into a strength for the Jaguars? Internally, Jacksonville believes some of the biggest strides they have made this offseason are up front due to the additions along the defensive line, at edge rusher and at inside linebacker. But the Jaguars will need their new and old faces along the line to be the focal point to free things up for the rest of the defense.

The Jaguars' defensive line was OK in 2021, but it was far from dominant and also waned in terms of consistency. This was due to some of the Jaguars' structural issues on defense overall, along with injuries to most of their key players. Now, though, the Jaguars have the depth along the line with Fatukasi and Key to provide them insurance in the event of injuries.

The Jaguars spent big on the defensive line over the last two seasons. They have brought in pass-rushers, run-stoppers, rookies, and veterans. Now they need to put it all together and take a step forward as a unit. Last year, the defensive line was more often than not an afterthought. Now, it needs to step up and become one of the highlights of the defense.

Published Jul 16, 2022

JOHN SHIPLEY

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.