Can the Jaguars Defensive Line Be an Elite Unit?
There has been a lot of hype around the Jacksonville Jaguars entering the 2025 campaign. Whether it be chatter around how newly added two-way athlete Travis Hunter will perform in the NFL or how quarterback Trevor Lawrence will bounce back from an injury-riddled 2024, the Jaguars have been in the headlines. However, one position that has flown under the radar among the casual fans is this Jacksonville defensive line. Led by standout veteran edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen and former first overall pick Travon Walker, this Jaguars line has the foundation for success in 2025. They will just need to execute better than their forgettable performance last season.
Exiting 2024, Jacksonville had the worst passing defense and second-worst total defense in the league. As for their running defense, the Jaguars were 25th. Although there were some bright spots for the defensive line. Travon Walker had the most sacks of his young career with 10.5, and following the season, Hines-Allen got a five-year extension to stay in Duval County. Luck just wasn’t with the Jaguars' line in 2024. A new addition in veteran Arik Armstead ended up being more of a locker room leadership addition rather than an on-field performance booster, and DaVon Hamilton did little to make a difference.
The Jaguars' line will have an opportunity to start fresh in 2025. Although Armstead is entering the season as questionable, the Jaguars worked on depth by trading with the New Orleans Saints to acquire Khalen Saunders and signing former Jacksonville lineman Dawuane Smoot. Hines-Allen, Walker, and Hamilton all enter the season healthy, allowing them to create chemistry as a starting unit. Jacksonville also has a new defensive coordinator in Anthony Campanile as a part of head coach Liam Coen’s staff. Campanile should allow for new defensive playmaking that the team struggled to do with past leadership.
With most of the line entering the season healthy, and new leadership and confidence in the team, this defensive line has the cards set for them to go out and have a huge season. It will be up to these linemen to perform to make it happen. In addition to a little bit of luck, this defensive unit can vastly improve on its dreadful 2024 season. Fans of Jacksonville should be excited for the potential that this line has entering the regular season.
