4 Jaguars veterans most impacted by 2021 NFL Draft

Will Doug Costin have a big role for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021?

The Jaguars didn’t have much talent at defensive tackle last season and had to rely on Doug Costin because there was nobody else to turn to. An undrafted free agent in 2020, the RedHawk appeared in 13 games with nine starts and played 41 percent of the team’s total snaps on defense. Moreover, he finished the season with 32 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, and two passes defensed.

After showing promise in his rookie year, you would think the Jaguars would give Costin a more detailed look in 2021 but instead, they traded for Malcom Brown and drafted Jay Tufele. DaVon Hamilton is also on the roster, and so is Taven Bryan, so Costin will have to compete for playing time, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you take into account that the Jags ranked 30th in rushing yards allowed last year.

Costin hardly qualifies as a veteran, as he’s just entering his second year in the NFL. Nevertheless, he is back to square one, having to earn snaps on the Jaguars’ defensive line rotation once again, and depending on how quickly Tufele adapts to the pro game, it will be a reduced number. Don’t write Costin off just yet, but the road to the starting lineup will be a challenging one for the second-year defensive tackle.