Dec 23, 2012; Jacksonville, FL, USA; New England Patriots Tom Brady (12) is pressured by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Jeremy Mincey (94) during the first half of the game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Well known throughout the NFL for having a poor pass rush, the Jacksonville Jaguars appear to have failed to address the defensive end and rush linebacker/Leo positions in both the 2013 NFL Draft and free agency.  The Jaguars didn’t pick a player like Oregon’s versatile Dion Jordan in the first round and they focused instead on the defensive backs.  The backs will will help give the pass rushers more time to get to the quarterback, but the defensive line improved this offseason as well.

Perhaps the player who will influence the pass rush the most (and will definitely influence the run game the most) is defensive tackle Roy Miller.  Miller plays the tilt at defensive tackle, demanding a double team from the center and a guard.  His numbers (23 tackles, no sacks) don’t reveal him to be a pass rushing force, but he opens the door for other players to make the plays.

Having a player like Miller at defensive tackle may finally allow fellow defensive tackle Tyson Alualu to make more plays in the pass rush.  Alualu was drafted in the first round of the 2010 draft for his fast hands, good footwork, and his complementary abilities to a big space clogging defensive tackle in Terrance Knighton.  Alualu has not been that game changer who collapses the pocket that he was expected to be.  With someone like Miller clogging the middle more effectively than Knighton, he may see more opportunities to collapse the pocket and force the quarterback to move into the path of a defensive end.

Nov.16, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Austen Lane (92) during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins won 24-3. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The defensive end position is the glamour position along the defensive line.  They are the guys who get the sacks, ultimately make the plays, and get the credit.  The interior of the defensive line has improved and there is reason for hope that Alualu can improve with better play alongside him, but it’s the defensive ends that really needed the extra work in the offseason.  So, what did the Jaguars do?  They did nothing really.

The Jags signed tryout guy Pannel Egboh, a defensive end who has to be pleased he currently has a contract.  But other than that, the Jaguars are essentially the same as they were last season.  They have second-year man Andre Branch, 2012 mid-season pickup Jason Babin, Jeremy Mincey, and Austen Lane to rush the passer.  Those four players combined produced just 7.5 sacks in 2012.  There is reason to believe they will improve, though.

Mincey signed a nice new contract with the Jaguars before 2012 following a career best season rushing the passer in 2011 with eight sacks.  He dropped off in 2012 but he has the ability to get to a similar level in 2013.  Babin is a sack master and an exclusive pass rusher.  He played the wide nine, lining up well outside the offensive tackle or tight end, in Philadelphia but will be playing Gus Bradley’s hybrid Leo role in the new defense.  Having him for a full season should be huge as he is easily the Jaguars’ best pass rusher.  Lane and Branch are the bigger question marks here but both are young and still growing into their roles.  Branch can only improve and Lane has shown sparks at times.  With better defensive tackle play there is an expectation that the defensive ends make more plays in 2013.

Ultimately it all comes down to coach Bradley, defensive coordinator Bob Babich, and defensive line coach Todd Wash to turn these players from a near non-factor in 2012 to a major factor in 2013.  The schemes and improved coverage should help, but ultimately it relies on the players and the potential that they have.  The Jags are young and while a lot of the D-line guys have underwhelmed in the past, they still have a lot of upside.

- Luke N. Sims

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Dec 23, 2012; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon (14) warms up before the start of the game against the New England Patriots at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Rebuilding the Jacksonville Jaguars is going to be a major youth movement.  The veteran leadership on the roster is few and and far between and players like Cecil Shorts III, entering just his third year, will be looked at to show leadership and provide that veteran presence.

Right now, before the draft and college free agency (from which GM Dave Caldwell wants to stock most of the team), the Jaguars’ average age is just 25.7 years old.  Of the current 61 players under contract, 26 of them are first or second year players.  With the influx of seven drafted players and a few handfulls of college free agents, this team is going to be tremendously young.

The vast majority of these young players aren’t going to make the final 53-man roster but for now they are getting a shot to be with an NFL team, if only for the offseason.  The Jags will be focusing on this year’s draft to get them on their feet and begin the foundation laying process for a series of successful years.

Youth movements in the NFL are common, but usually you need to find some veterans who can help lift up the team.  T.Y. Hilton was great last year for the Indianapolis Colts but he and Andrew Luck were both helped immensely by having Reggie Wayne playing for them still.  The Jaguars have Maurice Jones-Drew, Paul Posluszny, and Jason Babin to provide that mentor/veteran role, but some positions are shockingly slim on veteran presence.

Gus Bradley, as head coach and acting as the glue of the team until players step up, will be invaluable in providing leadership and instilling good approaches to football for the young Jaguars this season.  I trust that even with the comparative youth of the Jaguars, the team will come out swinging and develop smoothly with little hiccups despite lacking a lot of veteran talent. That said, there may be some hurdles that come with the youth movement.  We Jags fans wanted turnover and we got it.  There will be a lot of new faces to go with the new look Jags.

- Luke N. Sims

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Dec 16, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin (58) causes Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) to fumble in the second quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

It may sound odd, but right now, with apparently no other “LEO” on the team, Jason Babin is the key to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2013 defense.  Babin was a mid-season acquisition for the Jaguars in 2012 and he proved that while he may not be as good as he once was, he is still a force to be reckoned with.

This offseason he gets to learn the schemes and will come in experienced and ready to go.  He will be the key to the defense. The journeyman defensive end may have finally found a spot where he can be the veteran leader and be comfortable knowing that he is in a place and with a team that wants him.  Jaguars.com senior writer John Oehser may have said it best, “But [Babin] hasn’t seen this.  Or at least he hadn’t heard it. Not until now. Not a head coach telling him he wants him on the team – really, really wants him – while at the same time telling him he’s going to be key to the defense while telling him he also wants him to take on a leadership role.”

Babin seems to be embracing his new role well.  ”If I can help this team, it’s what I’m going to do – any way I can,” he said. “[Head coach Gus Bradley] makes you feel good about it.”  Babin’s LEO role is the key to the defense that Bradley employs and he will have to do it well if the Jaguars hope to be successful on defense.  Coming from a “Wide 9″ edge rushing position with the Philadelphia Eagles, Babin should be able to translate his skills effectively and put some pressure on the quarterback, opening things up for the rest of the defense.

As the draft nears we’ll have to see if the Jaguars are able to get someone else like Babin on the team who can take some snaps and bring a different approach to rushing the passer as well.

- Luke N. Sims

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