What is the State of the Jaguars' Defensive Tackle Position Ahead of the Draft?

How is the Jaguars' defensive tackle group shaping up before the draft, and should the Jaguars make a point to add to the position in next week's draft?

In only a few weeks, the 2020 NFL Draft will at last commence. This year's draft will obviously be dramatically different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced the draft to become a completely virtual event. But nonetheless, the show marches on.

While we gear up in preparation for the draft, we will be looking at each position group on the Jacksonville Jaguars' roster to gauge where it stands before this month's draft. Which groups need more attention, and which appear to be set?

In this edition, we take a look at the Jaguars' defensive tackle group, which has been pointed out as a key area of need all offseason. What kind of upgrades can they look for, and who do they have already in Jacksonville?

What the Jaguars have said about the group

"When you look at [Al] Woods, you see someone that I’ve known and played against and he’s always a tough guy to move, and I think he can give you, at times, good push like Taven [Bryan] has done for us, giving us good push up the middle ... Al is a tough man to move, he’s a big human being and we expect him to come in there and really clog it up and play the run well," head coach Doug Marrone said on March 31.

"I think when you look at [Rodney] Gunter, he’s someone that I didn’t really know a lot about because they’re in the NFC West," Marrone said on March 31. "Our scouting department did a good job, got him to the coaches, we watched a ton of film, and we were like, “Listen, there are a lot of good things about this player.” Obviously, he plays the run well, he can rush at times, He has some versatility whether he’s inside or outside, at big end or defensive tackle, so we felt pretty good about that."

“To be honest with you, when we did the deal last year, we knew he would have to have a well above … We knew it would be a longshot. It was really just to prorate some of the signing bonus that we did last year for him. He would still be a guy that we would have interest in bringing back at some point in time," Dave Caldwell said about Marcell Dareus at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Who the Jaguars have lost in 2020

The Jaguars have had a decent amount of turnover at the interior defensive line spots this offseason. Most notably, the team declined the 2020 team option on nose tackle Marcell Dareus, who started 22 games in 30 appearances for the Jaguars in the last three seasons. 

Dareus was a vital component to the Jaguars' run defense during his tenure in the middle of the defensive line, often commanding double teams that freed up the team's linebackers to make plays at the second level. Dareus wasn't much of a pass-rush presence (2.5 sacks in Jacksonville) but he was a steady and important piece of the Jaguars' defense. When Dareus missed 10 games last season due to a core muscle injury, the Jaguars' run defense fell off a cliff, a reflection of his importance. 

Versatile defensive lineman Calais Campbell also played a lot of defensive tackle for the Jaguars in the past, specifically on third downs. When the Jaguars traded him to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2020 fifth-round draft pick in March, the Jaguars lost a player who gave them 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in 2019. Campbell's on-field impact will be missed when Jacksonville is in obvious pass-rushing situations considering the consistency in which he got pressure from the defensive tackle position. 

Jacksonville has also yet to re-sign defensive tackle Akeem Spence, who appeared in nine games for the team in 2019 and recorded 11 tackles and one quarterback hit. Spence was mostly a rotational piece who found a place on the defense following the injury to Dareus, so it isn't surprising that they have yet to bring him back on the roster. 

Who the Jaguars currently have at the position

Taven Bryan: 24-years-old, nine career starts. Entering third season. Recorded 33 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, and one forced fumble in 2019.

Abry Jones: 28-years-old, 47 career starts. Entering eighth season. Recorded 31 tackles, two sacks, one tackle for loss, three quarterback hits, and one fumble recovery in 2019.

Rodney Gunter: 28-years-old, 38 career starts. Entering sixth season. Recorded 31 tackles, three sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits in 2019.

Al Woods: 33-years-old, 48 career starts. Entering 11th season. Recorded 32 tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and two fumble recoveries.

Carl Davis: 28-years-old, 12 career starts. Entering sixth season. Recorded one tackle in 2019.

Dontavius Russell: 24-years-old, zero career starts. Entering second season. Recorded four tackles in 2019.

Brian Price: 25-years-old, one career start. Entering fifth season. No stats in 2019.

To say the Jaguars lack depth and playmakers at the defensive tackle position is an understatement. Taven Bryan had plenty of flashes in 2019, but he still needs to put it all together and be a consistent presence for the Jaguars. While the flashes are encouraging, the production simply isn't there yet. 

Abry Jones is a solid depth piece but looked out of his element as a starter when Dareus got hurt in 2019, which explains the signing of Al Woods. Woods isn't much of a pass-rusher, but he is a steady run-stuffer who could start for the Jaguars if they don't invest in a nose tackle in the draft. 

Rodney Gunter will likely play all over the defensive line, and there is a good chance he sees snaps at defensive tackle in nickel formations due to the team's lack of true pass-rushing defensive tackles. Behind him, Carl Davis and Brian Price are journeymen, while Dontavius Russell didn't flash much as a rookie in 2019.

Jacksonville simply must upgrade the defensive tackle position one way or another in the draft, even with the additions of Woods and Gunter. Jacksonville is lacking the game-changing presence on the inside they had with Campbell and Malik Jackson in the past, so expect for them to be in the market for a defensive tackle early in next week's draft. Derrick Brown would be a perfect fit for nose tackle, while Ross Blacklock and Javon Kinlaw make sense as options at three-technique.