Jacksonville Jaguars defense is improving, getting faster

The Jacksonville Jaguars got serious about improving the defense in 2016, finally investing big in personnel which has yielded some early results.

When Jacksonville Jaguars senior writer John Oehser says the new Jags defense is fast, he means it:

"The defense is faster – much faster. The secondary appears to have a chance to be much better with the addition of free safety Tashaun Gipson, cornerback Prince Amukamara and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The defensive line looks a lot deeper, and far more capable of pressuring the passer on third downs."

Players like Ramsey, Gipson, Amukamara, and defensive linemen like Dante Fowler Jr., and Malik Jackson are all new names to the Jags defense. There’s no secret that their additions are going to make the defense that was historically bad rebound.

But it’s that speed that makes it most impressive.

Defenses like that under head coach Gus Bradley have to be built on trust. They have to be built on the fact that each and every player on that defense will be able to do his job and not let it inhibit the rest of the defense. There are responsibilities for each role and every player must understand their role completely and trust that others do as well.

That trust enables players to move quickly and opens them up to dominate through their athleticism, instincts, and experience. In short, it allows them to play fast.

More from Black and Teal

• Jacksonville Jaguars fortify secondary in 4-round 2023 Post-Combine NFL Mock Draft
• Jacksonville Jaguars RT Jawaan Taylor expected to have massive market in 2023 NFL Free Agency
• Robert Tonyan could be perfect complement to Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram in 2023 NFL Free Agency
• 5 Jacksonville Jaguars dream targets in 2023 NFL Free Agency
• 3 potential trade partners for Jacksonville Jaguars CB Shaquill Griffin

Players at the NFL level are top-flight athletes. They are among the best in the nation and even the world. Any one of them can play fast, but not every one of them is in a situation where they can actually do so. The Jags defense, now with an influx of talent, can finally play fast knowing that the “rookie mistakes” that plagued the young team may finally be resolved.

It isn’t just that Ramsey, Gipson, Amukamara, Myles Jack, Fowler, and Jackson are fast (they generally are pretty quick for their positions) but that they are competent which opens up the entire defense to play quickly and use their athleticism to their advantage in their respective roles.

Expect to see players that aren’t traditionally regarded as “fast” to be in the right spot at the right time more often than not and making plays more often than not because of the increased competence that let’s the team play fast in 2016.