The State of the Jaguars Defensive End Room

One man does not make a team, but one man will determine the look of the Jaguars DE room this fall. The state of Yannick Ngakoue will shape the entire state of the room for his teammates.

There’s really no way to ease into this one. It’s time to talk about the state of the Jacksonville Jaguars' defensive end room and trying to do that while dancing around the elephant in the room will only lead to someone getting hurt. So let’s get it out of the way. Whatever happens with the Jags defensive end unit this season will depend on one guy: Yannick Ngakoue

The fifth-year pass-rusher is currently under a franchise tag that has him in a spider web tethering him to an organization for whom he has publicly stated he no longer has any interest in playing for. As a recap, Ngakoue and the front office attempted a long-term deal last summer but were unable to reach an agreement. This became one of the bigger bullet points on a long list of grievances that led to Tom Coughlin’s firing. 

Then earlier this offseason, mid-March, the Jags placed the franchise tag on Ngakoue. As JaguarReport’s John Shipley explained at the time, “This opens up several options for the Jaguars and Ngakoue, and allows teams to negotiate with Ngakoue and submit an offer sheet for the player. If a team signs Ngakoue to an offer sheet, the Jaguars have a right to match. If they don't match, then they will be awarded two first-round picks as compensation.”

Ngakoue and co-owner Tony Khan engaged in Twitter bouts that did no favors for, but it was made clear the former wants to be traded, the latter probably wants it at this point as well but neither are going to make it easy for the other. In the meantime, general manager Dave Caldwell and head coach Doug Marrone continued to plan for the upcoming season as if Ngakoue will be a part of the roster.

When discussing the 2020 NFL Draft, Marrone referenced Ngakoue as a defensive end that rookie K’Lavon Chaisson could play opposite. But the most telling statement came from Caldwell, who asserted a rumor Ngakoue would be traded to the Las Vegas Raiders was false before continuing, “As far as that goes, I try not to comment too much on the situation. I try to be very pragmatic about it.

“Truth be told, we exercised the franchise tender. We weren’t able to get a trade. Actually, weren’t even really able to get an offer. So, I think his options are very limited at this point in time. We’ll welcome him back with open arms when he’s ready to come back and we look forward to it.

“Obviously, he feels things have not gone the way he wanted and, in some aspects, he may have a point. But we put our best foot forward not once, but twice. I hope he sees the light that Jacksonville is a good spot and it could, at the end of the day, be his only option.”

It’s hard to imagine the options are limited for one of the games best defensive ends—since joining the league in 2016, Ngakoue he has the fourth most forced fumbles in the league (14) as well as 37.5 sacks in 63 games, the most in that span of time in franchise history. Only those in the room know what really happened and how the game was played. So whether or not the red phone stayed silent or the Jags just didn’t receive offers of the farm for their franchise player, it’s clear the message they want Ngakoue to receive; the ball is back in your court and we’re the only team that wants you. Whether or not Ngakoue will call a bluff or fold remains to be seen.

In the meantime, there are other end options and they are either going to supplement depth behind Ngakoue or be tasked with filling his shoes. But before breaking down that section of the roster, let’s talk about Josh Allen.

As a rookie, Allen made the Pro Bowl thanks to his 10.5 sacks (most of any NFL rookies and a Jaguars' rookie record), 31 tackles and two forced fumbles. He finished 7th in the NFL in quarterback pressures, getting pressure every 5.99% of snaps. 

Barring injury or utter catastrophe, Allen will keep his starting spot. He was a BUCK in college and with the Jags seeming shift to more of a 3-4 defense this fall, he could be standing up more. At 6-foot-5, his wingspan from that perspective will help him in efforts to replicate his final season at Kentucky with 88 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and five forced fumbles. Allen is a natural in the hybrid role and would be an incredible option there. 

But if Ngakoue isn’t in Jacksonville—or is holding out in protest—then Allen’s innate athleticism and incredible rookie year as a pure DE could mean he takes over the role left by his predecessor.

If Allen is playing more of Ngakoue’s role, than the selection of K’Lavon Chaisson at No. 20 overall in the first round will be incredibly fortuitous. Chaisson is coming off a National Championship season in which he played the BUCK/Edge rusher spot and in his three years finished with 92 tackles, including 19.0 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

The Jags also recently signed Aaron Lynch from the Chicago Bears. He’s listed as a defensive end/outside linebacker. But he’s more of a situational player who is used in obvious passing situations. To play the BUCK in a 3-4, this position needs to be filled by someone versatile enough to rush and stop the run.

Let’s assume though that Ngakoue is playing in Jacksonville this fall, that Allen stays on the other side of the line playing a slightly different role and everything moves forward as the parties intend. What then?

Ngakoue is more of a three-point stance defensive end, meaning he plays with a hand in the ground. As of now, the Jaguars have two others on their roster that help there.

Lerentee McCray hasn’t started any of his 72 games but the former Denver Bronco’s undrafted free agent has spent enough time with his four teams to notch 38 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles. Cassius Marsh is heading into his eighth season, a journeyman that has started eight games along the way. He has 139 tackles, 14 sacks and four forced fumbles. Then there’s the Jags former third-round pick (2017) Dawuane Smoot. He has played in 40 career games, amassing 36 tackles (26 solo), eight TFL and 6.0 sacks.

Whenever the NFL and the Jacksonville Jaguars get back to work, the Ngakoue situation will be hanging over the practice field, the meeting room and the locker room. For any hope of shaping the defensive ends, the future relative to Ngakoue will have to be discussed sooner rather than later. One man does not make a team…but one will determine the direction of this defensive end room.