Joe Cullen favorite to land Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator job

The Jacksonville Jaguars are zeroing in on Joe Cullen for DC job.

Urban Meyer, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ new head coach, is wasting no time and is putting his coaching staff together and it seems like there’s a candidate to land their defensive coordinator job.

LSU passing game coordinator Scott Linehan is the favorite to land the Jaguars offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Baltimore Ravens Joe Cullen is a top target for the defensive coordinator position, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. If Cullen gets the gig, it would be his second stint in Jacksonville, as he was their defensive line coach from 2010 to 2012.

After coaching the Jaguars’ defensive line, Cullen went on to have the same title with the Cleveland Browns and later the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he joined the Ravens’ coaching staff in 2016. Baltimore’s defense ranked second in points allowed and logged 39 sacks this past season and their front four played a big role.

Cullen can make the most out of the talent the Jacksonville Jaguars have.

The ‘Jags’ need to fortify their defensive line and they should be able to do so in both the draft and free agency. Nevertheless, the cupboard isn’t completely bare and Cullen, or whoever gets the defensive coordinator job, will have some talent to work with.

Rookie defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson was a non-factor early in the season but displayed flashes of playmaking prowess in the second half. Moreover, defensive end Josh Allen should be healthy after dealing with a knee injury in 2020. On the other hand, defensive tackles DaVon Hamilton and Doug Costin earned significant playing time this past season and could have an expanded role in 2020.

The ‘Jags’ still need to add talent to their front four. Last season, they only registered 18 sacks, and the dearth of playmakers played a role. If the team’s brass does a good job of replenishing the defensive line, Cullen will be able to work his magic in Jacksonville.