Can Dante Fowler be the Jacksonville Jaguars’ x-factor on defense?
By Luke Sims
Dante Fowler Jr. will have to put in the work if he hopes to be the Jacksonville Jaguars’ x-factor on defense in 2017.
In looking at Marc Sessler’s under-the-radar x-factors for the 2017 NFL season it was pleasantly surprising to see Dante Fowler Jr.’s name among other more popular players. For a Jacksonville Jaguars player to even make such a list is seemingly an honor.
In talking about Fowler, Sessler was quick to point out that Fowler missed 2015 due to injury and that “the time is now for a breakthrough season.” It may be the understatement of the year.
The overall analysis is simply off, though. Writes Sessler, “We’re tired of falling for offseason hype in Jacksonville, but the pieces are in place on defense. The turnaround starts with Fowler.”
The turnaround doesn’t start with Fowler. In fact, it starts with players like Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell, and fellow pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue who out-worked Fowler in 2016 as a rookie. It’s young players like Ngakoue, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and middle linebacker Myles Jack that are leading the turnaround, not Fowler. If Fowler puts it all together, that’s just icing on the cake.
So while the x-factor could be that Fowler becomes a dominant pass rusher in his third season and that could instantly turn things around for a talented Jags defense, the truth is that anyone could fill that role. Campbell and Jackson are both capable of utter dominance as bigger defensive linemen who can plays inside (Jackson) or both inside and outside (Campbell). Ngakoue could also be that x-factor as a pass rusher from the outside.
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Or a player like linebacker Telvin Smith could emerge as an even better player than he already is. He or cornerback A.J. Bouye could kick things into an even higher gear and finally be recognized by the NFL as the catalyst that turned things around.
While it’s nice to think about Fowler as a possible x-factor, the truth is that these conversations are only occurring because he is a former third-overall pick. If he wasn’t and was simply out-working his draft position like Smith or Ngakoue, he’d be overlooked.
So before putting money on the Jaguars’ x-factor for 2017, take a look at the roster and see who is already delivering. That player is more likely to explode.