Jaguars State of the Roster: Edge Rusher
The complexion of the NFL is set to change at 4 p.m. on March 13. Once the clock hits the top of the hour, the new league year will begin and teams can officially sign free agents.
Until then, we are going to take a look at the Jaguars' roster position by position.
Next up: Edge rusher.
Under Contract
Travon Walker
Age: 23.
Experience: 2 seasons/32 games/32 starts.
2023 production: 52 tackles (10 for loss), 10.0 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, 59 pressures, 9.7% win-rate.
Travon Walker nearly tripped his rookie-year sack digits with his 2023 campaign, showing a vastly-improved ability to finish. He ended up with seven sacks over the Jaguars' final seven games and was frequently a key tandem with Josh Allen. While Walker didn't show the win-rate you would hope for, he did clearly improve his pass-rush ability while maintaining his strong play against the run.
Yasir Abdullah
Age: 23.
Experience: 1 season/5 games.
2023 production: One tackle, one quarterback hit, four pressures, 12.5% win-rate.
A fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Yasir Abdullah flashed throughout the preseason against backup offenses. This didn't lead to much playing time, however, with Abdullah only playing 45 defensive snaps and being made a healthy scratch for the rest of the season once Dawuane Smoot returned. He showed flashes, but the sample size doesn't quite exist.
D.J. Coleman
Age: 25.
Experience: N/A.
2023 production: N/A.
An undrafted free agent in 2023, Coleman spent the season on the Jaguars' practice squad.
De'Shaan Dixon
Age: 25.
Experience: 1 season/3 games played.
2023 production: N/A.
After making the roster as an undrafted free agent during the 2022 season, De'Shaan Dixon spent 2023 on the practice squad.
Free Agents
Josh Allen
Age: 26.
Experience: 5 seasons/74 games/60 starts.
2023 production: 66 tackles (17 for loss), 17.5 sacks, 33 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, 90 pressures, 20.5% win-rate.
The Jaguars' single best player in 2023 -- and in general -- Josh Allen was a dominant force last season. It was the best season of Allen's career, though he has always flashed the ability to be a potential 20-sack type of player. He fulfilled that potential in 2023, showing an improved ability to finish rushes and almost single handedly winning the Jaguars several games during the first three months of the season.
Dawuane Smoot
Age: 28.
Experience: 7 seasons/99 games/17 starts.
2023 production: 10 tackles, 1.0 sacks, four quarterback hits, one forced fumble, 14 pressures, 6.4% win-rate.
Dawuane Smoot had a lot working against him from the jump during the 2023 season. He missed the first five weeks after an Achilles tear at the end of the 2022 season, and it wasn't until late in the 2023 season that Smoot got closer to 100%. It likely makes sense to throw his 2023 campaign out of the window.
K'Lavon Chaisson
Age: 24.
Experience: 4 seasons/57 games/11 starts.
2023 production: 13 tackles (four for loss), 2.0 sacks, eight quarterback hits, 14 pressures, 6.8% win-rate
A former first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, K'Lavon Chaisson set career highs in quarterback hits and sacks in 2023. Still, Chaisson struggled to provide reliable results as a back-up pass-rusher and averaged fewer than one pressure per game. Expect him to sign elsewhere this offseason.
