Attacking and aggressive.
That's the new motto of the new-look Jacksonville Jaguars defense and most of what the team will do defensively this year won't be fully realized until the season starts with a bit of a preview for training camp that starts next week.
After a disjointed, bizarre end to the 2023 season that saw the Jaguars narrowly missing the playoffs, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson decided to refresh the team's defensive staff, letting go of most of the personnel.
In turn, the team went with former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who brings his flavor to Jacksonville, including plenty of familiar coaches to help revamp the team's defense. The work to revamp began during the spring when minicamp and organized team activities took place.
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Then, Nielsen made it clear that the team's defenders wouldn't necessarily be pigeon-holed into a specific position. When asked about linebackers Devin Lloyd and Yasir Abdullah, for example, Nielsen said while the team had a good idea about where he'd play, they were still moving guys around to fit them perfectly within the confines of what they do best.
"There are some of these guys that can play two or three positions. We're going to put them at these different positions in OTAs because it's a great opportunity to see what guys can do. Then as we see their job and if they can do certain jobs then we'll start to fine-tune a package more for their skillset," Nielsen remarked.
"But look, we're going to be on the ball and off the ball at the linebacker position. So, if you're out there today, they'll be moving around. Mike Will, Sam, all over the place."
Lloyd has played Will (weak-side) linebacker for the Jaguars since being drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. This year, he could be moved around just as other players within the team's defense might be.
But the revamp of Jacksonville's defense didn't simply stop with the coaching staff.
And last year's defense needed to change.
Over the next few days, we will preview all three units for the Jaguars, including special teams, defense and offense.
To read the Jaguars' special teams preview, click here.
Where did the Jaguars' defense rank in 2023? Key stats and findings
The Jaguars' defense went on an early tear, accounting for 18 turnovers throughout eight weeks of the season, an NFL lead. The team did so after 11 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.
The team's mantra, led by former senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton, was "think takeaways." But that didn't last long enough. Though the fall wasn't significant, the Jaguars defense accounted for just 27 takeaways by season's end, including five interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
The turnover drop-off coincided with an overall defensive collapse.
Through the first eight weeks of the season, the Jaguars held ball carriers to just 3.6 yards per carry, then allowed 4.6 yards per carry through the rest of the season. For instance, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry rushed for just 38 yards on 10 attempts in his first appearance against the Jags last year. He rushed for a season-high 153 yards on 19 carries in Week 18.
Individually, some of the team's defenders also saw a drop-off. Former Jaguars cornerback Darious Williams had 19 pass deflections, second behind San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (24). However, Williams had 14 pass breakups through the season's first eight games.
In all, while Jacksonville's defense showed improvement from 2022 to the first weeks of 2023, the late-season falloff couldn't be discounted. So new staff and players were brought in to right the ship.
Jaguars key defensive rankings in 2023:
- Points per game allowed: 21.8 (16th)
- Yards per game allowed: 342.8 (19th)
- Third-down conversion % allowed: 36.52% (8th)
- Red-zone scoring allowed: 55.77% (17th)
- Rushing yards allowed per game: 103.1 (9th)
- Passing yards allowed per game: 239.8 (26th)
Though Jacksonville's run defense finished ninth, it should be noted that the defense gave up 44.4 more rushing yards per game in Weeks 13-18 than it did in Weeks 1-12, per ESPN.
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The Jaguars set out not just to find a new coaching staff, but also give that coaching staff a new arsenal of players.
That work began this spring when the team let go of a couple of key veteran starters including defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi, safety Rayshawn Jenkins and cornerback Darious Williams.
All three were hastily replaced through free agency. The Jaguars signed Armstead and Savage in addition to cornerback Ronald Darby during the process. The team also turned to the draft to find talent, drafting defensive lineman Maason Smith and cornerback Jarrian Jones in the second and third rounds of the draft, respectively.
Armstead is the headliner, expected to bring a championship-caliber mentality to the defensive line alongside Pro Bowl DL Josh Hines-Allen and third-year DL Travon Walker.
Savage will start as the nickel cornerback in Nielsen's scheme, while Darby will compete outside at cornerback with Jones. Second-year safety Antonio Johnson is expected to replace Jenkins.
What must the Jaguars accomplish on defense this summer?
The Jaguars must form an identity on defense this summer. While the team has a slew of talent at all three levels, they can't enter the season disjointed and must understand what the defense's goals are when Week 1 kicks off.
That effort likely can be led by veteran linebacker Foye Oluokun, who is entering his third season with the club. Oluokun has been one of the team's defensive captains for two straight years and is widely seen as one of the brightest players on defense, and not just because he went to Yale.
Though Jacksonville's defense looks like it should be improved on paper this year, without seeing the actual scheme and players together as one, it's difficult to say this early. The Jaguars' defense should have an advantage late during training camp and continue that during the regular season.
Perhaps more than simply finding an identity, Jaguars second and third-year players must leap forward. The team is already set to rely on players like Lloyd, Walker, Johnson and several rookies. For the former two, their ascension will be necessary.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.
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