Jaguars vs. Colts: Jacksonville's Defense Has Prime Opportunity to Prove Themselves
The Jacksonville Jaguars have received plenty of praise and hype heading into the 2023 season as a team with a talented quarterback and a strong set of weapons to keep pace with any offense in the league.
The defense has received considerably less attention. Jacksonville did most of its roster building on that side of the ball in the 2022 offseason, and general manager Trent Baalke has elected to retain a vast majority of the 2022 core.
Not introducing new talent could be a problem, but not disrupting the defensive dynamic could be a massively beneficial decision. With a road trip against the Indianapolis Colts to open the season, Jaguars fans will find out where and how the defense is stepping forward.
The Colts will be debuting quarterback Anthony Richardson, one of the elite athletes in the 2023 draft cycle but a passer who showed plenty of rawness during his time at Florida. Indy will be without star RB Jonathan Taylor, which will put extra emphasis on limiting Richardson.
Chasing him down in a footrace will be impossible for most of the team, but this is where the pass rushers have to announce themselves.
Josh Allen lost the captaincy for the Jaguars this season, somewhat surprising but a move that makes sense considering how linebacker Foyesade Oluokun calls plays and manages the defense. Meanwhile, former No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker needs to show his progress after a relatively quiet rookie season.
This isn’t even mentioning how the team is hoping that K’Lavon Chaisson can finally produce at the NFL level. After three years with just a sack per season, this feels like a make-or-break campaign for the former LSU Tiger.
Richardson is fast, but he’s inexperienced and will give the Jaguars defense opportunities. Walker and Chaisson have an immediate opportunity to kickstart important 2023 seasons, while Allen has the chance to make a statement that he’s still a top-end pass rusher and that losing a permanent captain spot won’t affect his contributions to the team.
At the second level, linebacker Devin Lloyd has plenty to prove as well. A 24-year-old when drafted, Lloyd was billed as a LB that would be NFL-ready. In some ways, that was true, but the Jaguars clearly took more and more responsibility away from him as the season went on.
PFR shows that his three interceptions need context, as he allowed a completion rate of 77.2%. That’s not abysmal for an LB, but it’s clear that he’s feasting or flailing. Meanwhile, his missed tackle percentage of 10.9% is something that was unequivocally under-par.
For Lloyd, using his quickness to both limit Richardson in the flats over and the middle will be critical. He has the type of closing speed that linebackers need in the NFL. The former Utah star may not be a play-caller for the defense, but Jacksonville needs to see more consistency in Year 2.
The secondary was the highlight of the 2022 defense, primarily thanks to safety Rashawn Jenkins and corners Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams. Following up a strong end-of-season run by dominating the Colts’ weak receiving core could pick that momentum back up.
Expect Campbell to battle Michael Pittman Jr. snap after snap on Sunday, as the fourth-year WR is by far the most dangerous weapon Richardson has at his disposal. Campbell was a top CB last year, but is yet to reach nationwide stardom. An exclamation point performance against the Colts is just another possible step to that.
What is the point of addressing all this? The key is that the Jaguars defense ought to be hungry. Starving, even. They were responsible for the AFC South clinching-win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 18 and had several strong performances, but they received very little love this offseason.
Many of those guys have something to prove. The current state of the Colts makes for a team that is perfect for making a statement. A victory is expected, but the Jacksonville defense has more than just the win column as motivation heading into Week 1.
