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Sen’Derrick Marks: Return is much needed for Jags

By Luke Sims

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Sen’Derrick Marks is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL and the Jacksonville Jaguars clearly missed the disruptive interior lineman on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Cam Newton and the Panthers offense managed to bully the Jaguars defensive line well throughout the entire game. It was sloppy play especially at the interior, with the mix of rookie Michael Bennett, Tyson Alualu, and Roy Miller struggling to get a foothold.

Miller is missing his fellow cornerstone DT and it really showed.

Miller was Pro Football Focus’s lowest graded Jaguar defensive tackle in Week 1, finding himself with a -1.7 grade. That was good enough to be ranked 57th out of 59 defensive tackles with at least 25% of snaps in Week 1. Tyson Alualu was the Jags’ top graded player at the position, finishing 24th.

Fortunately for the Jaguars, it sounds like Sen’Derrick Marks is getting closer to being ready to go. While we hoped he would be ready for the season opener, that opportunity has come and passed. We now need him back as soon as possible. The report per John Oehser is that he is practicing this week.

Perhaps more than the return of tight end Julius Thomas or wide receiver Marqise Lee (Lee is also practicing this week, per John Oehser), the return of Marks could begin a big step forward for the Jaguars.

While the defense did well against the Panthers for the most part on Sunday, having a guy like Sen’Derrick Marks back in the lineup will allow the entire defense to excel. He helps provide opportunities not just for his fellow defensive linemen, but for the linebackers and secondary as well. He’s also pretty good at creating opportunities for himself, notching 8.5 sacks last season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars need Sen’Derrick Marks back. He needs to find his way back on that football field. The Jags don’t want to rush him out there, though. Head coach Gus Bradley noted that Marks is less likely to play against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday than Marqise Lee.

Next: Jacksonville Jaguars low in power rankings

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