Doug Pederson hints that Jags adding an impact pass rusher isn't likely
The Jacksonville Jaguars' pass rush is one that's full of young players with potential, but that potential has yet to be fully realized in large part. The team has invested significant salary and draft capital in the position recently, selecting Josh Allen, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Travon Walker in the first round of the 2019, 2020, and […]
The Jacksonville Jaguars' pass rush is one that's full of young players with potential, but that potential has yet to be fully realized in large part. The team has invested significant salary and draft capital in the position recently, selecting Josh Allen, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Travon Walker in the first round of the 2019, 2020, and 2022 drafts, respectively, with Walker being the first overall pick.
That's a large investment for a position that so far has not yielded the results the team surely has hoped for. Allen is the outlier, being the team's best pass rusher by a wide margin. In 2022, he earned a 79.8 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF), generating 77 pressures in 539 pass rushing snaps for an impressive 14.3% pressure rate. He has steadily improved each year, earning a sterling 84.7 overall defensive grade from PFF in 2022.
But what about the rest? Chaisson has been a massive disappointment through three seasons, such that the team declined to pick up his fifth-year option this offseason. Walker fell far short of expectations of being the #1 pick, but he still has time and room to grow. 2023 5th-round pick Yasir Abdullah showed an impressive pass-rushing skillset at Louisville, but it's still early to tell if he's going to develop into a quality NFL player.
With that all in mind, head coach Doug Pederson was asked at Monday's press conference about the possibility of adding a pass rusher this offseason.
"We're always trying to improve, you know, whether it's schematically, positionally, or personnel. We're always looking. It's something that we'll take a look at, but every roster is pretty much set at this stage of the game. It would have to be something that, it would have to be pretty enticing, I think, to bring somebody on to your roster, which means you would have to let somebody go. So that's a hard thing to do." – Doug Pederson via Jacksonville Jaguars YouTube channel
There are a number of varying options still out there in free agency. Big names that will likely earn multi-year deals, such as Frank Clark, Leonard Floyd, and – yes – former Jaguar Yannick Ngakoue, who left Jacksonville prior to the current general manager and head coach assuming their respective roles. There are also experienced players coming off one-year, team-friendly deals who can help as situational pass rushers, namely Melvin Ingram and Justin Houston.
However, given what Jacksonville has invested in their young pass rushers, taking snaps away from players who are developing and trying to get better is counterintuitive to success beyond 2023, especially with Walker. It's also hard to see the team letting Allen walk in free agency after this year, especially with the franchise tag an option if the sides can't work out a long-term extension beforehand.
As such, it makes sense for Jacksonville to look to 2023 with the talent they have on the roster while working to develop Walker into the game-changer off the edge they drafted him to be.
