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Jacksonville Jaguars’ Sheldon Day brings versatility to D-Line

By Luke Sims

Nov 14, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Sheldon Day (91) greets his mother Carol Boyd during the Senior Day recognition ceremony before the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Sheldon Day (91) greets his mother Carol Boyd during the Senior Day recognition ceremony before the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive line relies on a strong rotation of versatile defenders to be effective, which makes 2016 NFL Draft selection Sheldon Day all the more valuable.

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Sheldon Day is seen as a steal (maybe even the biggest steal) among his peers. He joins fellow steals Jalen Ramsey (who slid to fifth overall) and Myles Jack (who slid to the second round) in an impressive Jacksonville Jaguars draft class.

Daniel Lago makes the case that the Jags didn’t need another three-technique defensive tackle, which is at least partly true, but that Day has the potential to develop into someone special. His last season at Notre Dame saw him amass 4.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for a loss, and two fumbles forced. He has the ability to make plays and if he brings even some of that to the Jaguars he’ll be a great addition to a defensive line already featuring Roy Miller, Sen’Derrick Marks, and Malik Jackson, among others.

And it’s important to add that he enhances the entire defensive line and not just the three-technique spot. During his coverage of rookie orientation, Jaguars.com senior writer John Oehser highlights the versatility the Jacksonville Jaguars expect from Day:

"Defensive tackle Sheldon Day, the Jaguars’ fourth-round selection last weekend, said while he is most comfortable as a three-technique defensive tackle, the team told him he could play more than just that position. “They said I can play multiple positions and move me around on the defensive front to try and get me to find a spot,” he said."

If the Jags find a way to utilize Day in multiple roles, they will have done a great service to improving the defensive line. Day’s potential to become something special is clearly there and he will work hard to be a contributor wherever the Jags use him. If the team finds him able to provide help across the line, they’ll have a rare defensive weapon that teams covet.

Next: Fellow rookie Jalen Ramsey may have to fight for what he wants

Hopefully we see Day really become that versatile “swiss army knife” player that can solve problems for the defense. It would be a pleasure to watch him grow from a fourth rounder into being a key contributor.

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