2022 NFL Free Agency: Chandler Jones and 4 Other Edge Rushers Who Make Sense For the Jaguars

Free agency is nearly upon us. On March 14, the two-day legal tampering window will begin before the new league year begins and players across the entire NFL will find new homes.

After an unpredictable free agency period last offseason in which the Jaguars didn't target many of the top free agents they were projected to, there is no telling if this year will be different. The operative word in last year's free agency cycle, led by then-head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke, was "value".

Will this again be the case with Baalke back at the helm, this time joined by new head coach Doug Pederson?

"Are we going to go out and add talent? Yeah, we're going to add talent. We're going to add competition. We're going to bring value to the roster. Every team does that, and we're no exception to that," Pederson said last month when he introduced his coaching staff.

"But I see talent here. I said I think in my opening remarks a couple weeks ago that it's not an overnight fix, and it's going to be a fix that we've got to do it one player at a time, one coach at a time, and get it turned around."

In an effort to identify which free agents make the most sense to potentially be those players Pederson referenced, we are going to go through each position group to determine who the best fits are, ranking them in order.

Next up, the edge rusher position.

1) Chandler Jones

One of the best players in all of free agency, Chandler Jones would be the Jaguars' biggest free agent addition in several years. It remains to be seen whether the veteran pass-rusher would want to go to a rebuilding team while other pass-rushers at similar stages of their career are contending for Super Bowls, but there is no question the Jaguars should be interested in Jones.

Jones, who was coached in Arizona in part by Jaguars defensive line coach Brentson Buckner, would give the Jaguars an instant starter across from Josh Allen on the edge. Jones already has 10 seasons under his belt and will be 32 next season, but he still recorded 10.5 sacks and 26 hits in 15 games last year. There is some risk due to his age, but he is still a lethal pass-rusher.

2) Haason Reddick

The Carolina Panthers are likely wishing they signed Haason Reddick to a longer deal than the one-year contract they gave him. After breaking out as a pass-rusher with the Cardinals during a 12.5-sack season in 2020, Reddick proved to not be a one-year fluke last season. Starting 16 games for the Panthers, Reddick recorded 11 sacks and a career-high 18 quarterback hits.

Reddick, a 2017 first-round pick who will turn 28 during the 2022 season, will likely command a massive contract after recording 23.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles over the last two seasons. The Jaguars would have to give him one of the most expensive edge rusher deals in the NFL, but he has proved himself as a speed rusher and would give the Jaguars an established home-run hitter on defense.

3) Emmanuel Ogbah

More of a power rusher than Reddick, Emmanuel Ogbah is another former early-round pick who has found great pass-rush production in recent years. A second-round pick in 2016, Ogbah has thrived with the Miami Dolphins over the last two years and could make sense for the Jaguars if they want to go with a similarly blitz-happy scheme.

After 18 sacks in his first four seasons, Ogbah has equaled that amount of the last two years, recording nine sacks in each season with the Dolphins. He has added on 45 quarterback hits, 15 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles on top of it, making him a high-floor signing who could produce right away. He isn't the athlete some other edge rushers are, but he is powerful, can set an edge and knows how to produce.

4) Derek Barnett

The Eagles' first-round pick in 2017 at No. 14 overall, Derek Barnett has made a lot of big plays for Doug Pederson's defenses in the past. While Barnett has not always lived up to his draft status, he played a key role on each of Pederson's Eagles' teams from 2017-2020. During that time, Barnett appeared in 48 games while starting 30, recording 19.5 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 65 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles during that span.

Barnett isn't a speed rusher who is going to be one of the first pass-rushers off the market, but he would give the Jaguars an upgrade from Jihad Ward and a solid non-No. 1 pass-rusher. Barnett wouldn't change the complexion of the defense, but he would give the Jaguars a high-floor pass-rusher with length across from Josh Allen.

5) Uchenna Nwosu

More of an all-around outside linebacker than a true pass-rusher, Uchenna Nwosu could give the Jaguars an upgraded version from what they have gotten from K'Lavon Chaisson thus far. Nwosu is a versatile 3-4 edge rusher who has the speed and flexibility to threaten slower tackles off the edge, and he is one of the better coverage players at the position as well.

The Jaguars would still have a pass-rush need with Nwosu on the roster (15 sacks in four years, never more than five in a season), but he would greatly improve the overall edge rusher rotation. He isn't No. 1 and perhaps even No. 2 pass-rusher, but he is a solid and athletic defender who is still in the prime of his career.

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