Sen’Derrick Marks can be a difference maker in 2016

Sen’Derrick Marks finally returned to practice in full for the Jacksonville Jaguars and looks forward to making key contributions in the coming year.

Heading into the last game of the 2014 season it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars had an absolute stud in defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks.

But in that final game he came away with a knee injury that limited his availability for the coming season and, when he finally saw the field, he managed to become injured again. In total, he appeared in just four games and had just two starts. That’s after 32 straight starts for the Jaguars in the years preceding.

His return in the 10th day of OTAs is exciting. Even with new defensive line additions headlined by Malik Jackson, the presence of Marks is worth paying attention to. His injuries have slowed down his powerful impact for the team, but he still has the ability to be a stud lineman for the team.

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Marks will be ready to go 100 percent when training camp finally rolls around. This will be huge for a defense that needs to come together and gel after getting a personnel rework and change at defensive coordinator this offseason. Todd Wash, promoted from run game coordinator and defensive line coach, should be an improvement over Bob Babich and will help bring the defense together as a whole. Marks, who has worked closely with Wash, will likely figure as a critical player going forward.

While the presence of Jackson will push Marks down to be more of a rotational player at three-technique, it should help the defense as a whole. This is one reason why it is critical that he is coming back at 100 percent for training camp and finally ready to deliver on the impressive promise he flashed in 2014.

The future is bright and Sen’Derrick Marks is a big part of it. For now it remains to be seen just how often he’ll be on the field and how much of an impact he will have, but we should still expect big things despite not seeing much due to injury in the last year. The role may not be fully defined yet but he can make a difference.