Jacksonville Jaguars: 30 greatest players in franchise history
By John Buhler
DL. (2000-08). Rob Meier. 29. player. 52.
- 138 career games for Jaguars, 49 starts
- 182 tackles, 42 assists in Jaguars career
- 21.5 career quarterback sacks playing predominantly defensive tackle
The next former Jaguar we will touch on grew up on the opposite side of the continent from Duval County. Defensive lineman Rob Meier is a native of Vancouver, having played several sports as a kid growing up in the Pacific Northwest, including American football.
He would go on to have a successful collegiate career in the then Pac-10 as a member of the Washington State Cougars in Pullman. However, Meier nearly missed being drafted back in 2000. Fortunately for him, the Jaguars took a chance on the Canadian with No. 241 pick in the NFL Draft that year.
Though he was the No. 1 overall pick the CFL Draft, Meier saw himself playing in the NFL from day one. He would go on to play all nine of his professional seasons in the black and teal. Meier started out as a situational defensive end on Tom Coughlin’s team. However, his best years would come in the Jack Del Rio era of Jaguars football as a defensive tackle.
This allowed Meier to garner most of 49 career starts over 138 NFL games. His production would improve as his season progressed after the slight kick inside. Meier was able to bring the opposing quarterback to his knees on 21.5 separate occasions while in Jacksonville. The bulk of them came in his late 20s and early 30s.
Meier would last play for the Jaguars during the 2008 NFL season. He finished with 182 career tackles and 42 assists playing for the Jaguars. While Paul Spicer’s numbers might be slightly better than Meier’s, what gives Meier the slight edge in these top-30 rankings is the position switch. Sacks are easier to come by at defensive end than at defensive tackle.
Meier was only a shade off Spicer’s career 28.5 in Jaguars uniform. Like his former defensive line teammate Spicer, longevity and continual growth throughout his career has Meier coming in at No. 29 at this cross-section of Jaguars football history.