Live from the Jaguars’ camp, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been identified as a key potential landing spot for Detroit Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike. This comes in light of what was one of the most underwhelming aspects of the 2024 season—the Jaguars’ pass rush.
Despite having star pass-rushers like Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, both of whom have the potential to notch double-digit sack seasons, the Jaguars have struggled to find adequate support behind them. This has been a recurring issue for two years now.
One significant reason for the lack of production is the Jaguars’ inability to generate pressure from the interior defensive line. Arik Armstead, who was miscast as a defensive end in former defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s scheme, and second-round pick Maason Smith, who didn’t show promise until the final month of the season, were at the center of this problem.
As a result, defensive tackle has become a top priority for the Jaguars, and it’s no surprise to see multiple outlets, including Pro Football Focus, linking Onwuzurike to Jacksonville. According to PFF, “Onwuzurike is the penetrating 3-technique interior pass-rusher that every team covets. And given how ineffective the Jaguars’ interior pass rush was in 2024 — having ranked dead-last in pass-rush win rate by defensive tackles (8.9%) — he will undoubtedly be a target for new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile’s defense.”
They go on to add, “Pairing Onwuzurike’s 12%-plus pass rush win rate in each of the past two seasons with the already productive tandem of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker would certainly turn heads in the AFC South.”
It will be fascinating to see how the Jaguars approach the defensive tackle position this offseason, especially with Armstead and Smith already in place as the incumbent three-techniques. Since the new coaching staff wasn’t responsible for bringing them in, their future in the lineup isn’t guaranteed. However, head coach Liam Coen has already expressed his plans for Armstead, stating, “Yeah we got to stop the run. We talked about stopping the run. But what are our guys’ superpowers, and how do we play to those?”
He continued, “While also continuing to develop some of the things that we need to do in the run game, and stopping the run. You know, getting Armstead potentially back at the three-technique, and moving him in that position where he’s most comfortable and disruptive. I saw it firsthand in multiple years in LA. And then, okay, how do we just continue to play to these guys’ strengths? Like, that’s what this has to be about.”
So, all eyes are on how the Jaguars will bolster their defensive line this offseason, especially with the possibility of adding a game-changer like Onwuzurike.
