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Overview of the Jacksonville Jaguars Defense
The Jaguars' defense was a disaster in 2024. They were 25th versus the run, and that was the highlight. Jacksonville allowed 71 pass plays of 20+ yards, nine more than anyone else, and 14 of 40+, which was two more than anyone else. They were last versus the pass, 28th in sacks, 28th in points, and produced three fewer turnovers than anyone else.
What a difference a year can make. Jacksonville hired a new coaching staff that included first-time NFL defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. As someone with no NFL coordinator experience, we were unsure what to expect from his scheme. With the organization making relatively few changes to the roster, no one could have anticipated how much this team would improve. There was no first-year learning curve, and there was no evaluating the roster to make wholesale changes in year two. The Jaguars leaped from the basement, all the way to the penthouse, with virtually the same cast.
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Jacksonville's run defense allowed the fewest yards in the league, and their 3.9 per carry was second. They were tied for the fewest runs of 20+ yards and allowed none of 40+. The pass defense was almost as good. The Jaguars were 14th in yards, but only because they faced more passes than anyone else. They finished 3rdin yards per attempt and 7th in completion percentage. The unit was opportunistic as well, with their 22 interceptions and 31 combined takeaways second only to the Bears. About the only thing this defense did not excel at was getting to the passer. With 32 sacks, they were near the bottom of the league.
Once again, the organization made few impactful personnel moves. At least this time, it is easy to understand why. Two of their three third-round picks were used on tackles Albert Regis and safety Jalen Husky. They followed that with a couple of edge guys in the 4th and 7th, and a linebacker with their other 7th. The only significant free agent addition on defense is tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, who should see rotational duty for now.
The 2026 season will tell us if this defense is for real or if 2025 was beginner's luck.
Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Line
When Josh Hines-Allen exploded for 66 tackles, 17 sacks, and 3 turnovers in 2023, fantasy managers had to decide if it was a breakout season or a career outlier. After posting 8 sacks and falling short of 50 stops in each of the last two years, that question is clearly answered.
Hines-Allen is no stranger to good tackle production. His career-best of 70 combined stops was in 2021. Leading up to 2024, he was on a streak of three consecutive seasons with at least 57. At 28 tackles and 21 assists, he was not as far off the mark last year as he was in 2024.
There is a good chance he will get back into the 50+ tackle club this year. When it comes to sacks, however, the only times Hines-Allen has reached double digits were in his rookie campaign of 2019 and in 2023. He has no more than 8 in any other year.
Fifty or so tackles, 8 sacks, a batted pass or two, and a couple of takeaways are enough to make a decent second starter at the edge position. Hines-Allen landed at ED21 last year. He could slip back into the top-20 this year, but we should not expect much more than that.
The organization expects a big improvement in the sack column this season, simply because Travon Walker will be healthy. Jacksonville used the first pick in the draft on Walker in 2022. His rookie campaign produced modest numbers. As is often the case, he improved on the field and in the box scores over the next two seasons. With 52 tackles in 2023, 61 in 2024, and 10 sacks in each of those seasons, he seemed poised for big things in 2025. Walker got off to a good start with sacks in two of the first three games. Then he suffered a debilitating hand injury in week four.
Hand fighting and leverage are huge factors in the success of a pass rusher. Walker showed toughness by continuing to play, but he was not very effective. The hand has healed, and he is ready to resume the path he was on. Walker broke into the top ten in 2024. There is a good chance he will get back there in 2026.
Dennis Gardeck and Dawuane Smoot were the top backups last season. Both logged over 400 snaps. With Smoot gone and the team adding no veteran depth, Gardeck could see a bump in playing time. With the depth chart thin on experience, rookies Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee should be in the thick of the battle for the fourth spot at the edge position.
There is no star power among Jacksonville's interior line, but there are good players. Davon Hamilton and Arik Armstead are expected to start with Ruke Orhorhoro and rookie Albert Regis getting most of the backup snaps.
Hamilton is a 335-pound road grader who is formidable against the run but doesn't offer much as a pass rusher. He has five sacks over six seasons, after last year's break from a cold streak that started in 2023. He was 34-28 in the tackle columns in 2024 before tanking last year, so he is capable of providing good depth, but there is no upside.
Armstead turned in 54 combined tackles, 10 sacks, and 3 turnovers for the 49ers in 2019. That was by far the most productive of his eleven seasons. He had another good year in 2021, going 30-33-6. Outside of those two years, his career has been rather disappointing for a former 17th overall pick. Armstead managed 5.5 sacks in 2025, but added only 13 tackles and 15 assists with them. That is often his story.
Albert Regis will back up Hamilton at nose tackle. He is a bowling ball that is hard to move thanks to a low center of gravity (that means he's short by NFL standards). He should eventually become a starter and a strong anchor for the run defense, but we should not expect much on the stat sheet.
Orhorhoro was a second-round pick of the Falcons in 2024. He came to Jacksonville in a trade for tackle Maason Smith. Both players have underwhelmed at this early point in their careers. The Falcons were willing to move on because they needed a bigger and stouter nose tackle to anchor the line. Jacksonville made the move because they wanted more athleticism and pressure from the three-technique position. Orhorhoro had 36 total tackles and 3.5 sacks in eight starts with Atlanta. He will be auditioning to be the heir to Armstead, who will be 33 in November.
- Edge Josh Allen – Decent ED2 with a little upside
- Edge Travon Walker – Priority DT2 with top 10 potential
- Edge Dennis Gardeck – Injury sleeper with limited potential
- Edge Wesley Williams – Developmental rookie who could see action early
- Edge Zach Durfee – Developmental rookie
- DT DaVon Hamilton – Marginal fantasy impact
- DT Arik Armstead – There is potential but no expectation
- DT Ruke Orhorhoro – Watchlist player
- DT Albert Regis – No impact expected