- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 447,826
- Reaction score
- 44
Perhaps one of the bigger surprises coming out of the NFL draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars--other than trading up and selecting Travis Hunter--was that we didn't see an early-round pick made along the defensive line, and this also wasn't a position group that the Jaguars double-dipped at either.
After not adding to the defensive line during free agency, the thought by many on the outside was that this unit was going to be a priority for the Jaguars in the NFL draft. However, that isn't how things played out. The only addition to the defensive line came in Round 6 when the Jaguars drafted Jalen McLeod, who also plays linebacker.
As always, when it comes to the NFL draft, there are a variety of factors that could have contributed to this outcome for the Jaguars, but there are two in particular that led to this result.
One is simply how the board fell. It was detailed in The Athletic that the Jaguars had their eyes on Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte in Round 3, but he ended up being taken a few picks before Jacksonville was on the clock. Overall, given how the Jaguars' big board was stacked and who was available when they were picking, the opportunity to add to the defensive line never quite presented itself.
"The board always falls certain ways," Gladstone said via the team site. "You're not going to reach because of what might be a perceived need. So you are always going to take the players that you feel like are going to put the team in the best interest moving forward."
Also part of the equation, and what helped give the Jaguars the confidence to be patient as the draft unfolded, was the confidence that they have in the defensive linemen already on the roster.
As Gladstone would mention, he believes that unit is "about to take a jump" this season.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile brings a malleable defensive scheme to Jacksonville and one that is meant to be molded around the skill sets he has on the roster. And with that, we are going to see defensive linemen in different roles to help maximize their abilities and impact on the game.
One example of this could be Arik Armstead moving back to defensive tackle.
"We certainly look forward to seeing guys being in different positions than they've been in the past and that being an element that activates different sides of them," Gladstone said. "Their whole approach has been great so far, so we're looking forward to it."
Overall improvement for the Jaguars' defense begins with steadier play up front. This was a defensive line unit last season that ranked 32nd in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric and 27th in run stop rate.
"They're working their tails off right now, and you can tell that there's a connective element that's coming to life in a short period of time," Gladstone said.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Why Jaguars didn't add to defensive line more
Continue reading...
After not adding to the defensive line during free agency, the thought by many on the outside was that this unit was going to be a priority for the Jaguars in the NFL draft. However, that isn't how things played out. The only addition to the defensive line came in Round 6 when the Jaguars drafted Jalen McLeod, who also plays linebacker.
As always, when it comes to the NFL draft, there are a variety of factors that could have contributed to this outcome for the Jaguars, but there are two in particular that led to this result.
One is simply how the board fell. It was detailed in The Athletic that the Jaguars had their eyes on Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte in Round 3, but he ended up being taken a few picks before Jacksonville was on the clock. Overall, given how the Jaguars' big board was stacked and who was available when they were picking, the opportunity to add to the defensive line never quite presented itself.
"The board always falls certain ways," Gladstone said via the team site. "You're not going to reach because of what might be a perceived need. So you are always going to take the players that you feel like are going to put the team in the best interest moving forward."
Also part of the equation, and what helped give the Jaguars the confidence to be patient as the draft unfolded, was the confidence that they have in the defensive linemen already on the roster.
As Gladstone would mention, he believes that unit is "about to take a jump" this season.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile brings a malleable defensive scheme to Jacksonville and one that is meant to be molded around the skill sets he has on the roster. And with that, we are going to see defensive linemen in different roles to help maximize their abilities and impact on the game.
One example of this could be Arik Armstead moving back to defensive tackle.
"We certainly look forward to seeing guys being in different positions than they've been in the past and that being an element that activates different sides of them," Gladstone said. "Their whole approach has been great so far, so we're looking forward to it."
Overall improvement for the Jaguars' defense begins with steadier play up front. This was a defensive line unit last season that ranked 32nd in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric and 27th in run stop rate.
"They're working their tails off right now, and you can tell that there's a connective element that's coming to life in a short period of time," Gladstone said.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Why Jaguars didn't add to defensive line more
Continue reading...
