The Jaguars wannabe GM looks at the current defensive roster

Can the Jaguars defensive roster become the dominant force it was in 2017?

The Jaguars defense has been the engine that kept the team running with little help from the offense. The offense of 2019 is a much-improved unit and could be better than in previous seasons.

The defense will have less pressure to do all the work if the offense performs as expected. That will give the young players on the other side of the ball time to develop and will force coordinators of opposing teams to burn some midnight oil.

To start, Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash returns.  To be honest I was not impressed with him last season but the defense was ranked fifth in the NFL in 2018. The team added veteran coordinator Dom Capers as a top assistant. The Jaguars lost some valuable players including Malik Jackson and Tashaun Gipson, who were both cut by the team. In addition, Telvin Smith will sit out this season for personal reasons. Yannick Ngakoue is a current holdout.

There are some big shoes to fill and some young talent ready to fill them if given the chance.

To begin, we look at the defensive line. This is the strongest position group on defense. There are 16 defensive linemen on the roster to start training camp. The starting defensive end/edge rushers are Calais Campbell and Ngakoue.  The first-round rookie Josh Allen will be in the mix as well. The defensive tackles are Marcell Dareus and Taven Bryan.  Bryan, a first-round choice a year ago, will play better at his natural position.  There are several experienced backups as well.

This is a strong group.

"The linebackers are a huge concern. There are six on the roster. The loss of Smith is a huge issue. As written on Big Cat Country, Ryan O’Blessness adds, “Without Smith, the linebacking corps are a big question mark.  Is rookie Quincy Williams ready to immediately start on the right side? Is Jake Ryan healthy enough to contribute following an ACL tear?  Will Leon Jacobs keep his starting role as strong side linebacker?More from Jacksonville Jaguars NewsJacksonville Jaguars should welcome Derrick Henry into the kingdomJaguars Rumors: Trent Baalke seems to be getting respect nowJaguars News: This division rival might be making a big moveFormer Jacksonville Jaguars S Johnathan Cyprien: “New Profession, Same Standards”Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram officially gets the franchise tag: 3 takeaways"

Many questions and few answers.

Cornerback is a strong position group because of our two top-notch starters. Jalen Ramsey is a star as is A.J. Bouye. There are 12 cornerbacks on the roster and several have game experience. They include D.J. Hayden, Tre Herndon, and Quenton Meeks. This solid group is an asset to the team.

Last and maybe least are the safeties.  There are six safeties on the roster. The starters are Ronnie Harrison and Cody Davis heading into training camp.  They are young and have started some games last season. The group is untested and could go either way.  If any position group on the team needs an upgrade this could be the one.

The defense could be great if everything falls into place or it could be problematic if some of the new young starters don’t work out.  I believe it will be good enough to compete in every game. It just may be time for the offense to carry the team to give our young guys time to grow.