Jaguars defense undergoing makeover in minicamp and other takeaways

High-scoring offenses will always get more attention than a stout defense. Who doesn’t like to see teams get into a shootout and score a touchdown at the very last moment to win the game? There’s no doubt the NFL is a passing league, that’s why quarterback is the most important position and its demand outweighs the supply. The Jacksonville Jaguars knew that if they wanted to compete and win games, they needed to find a franchise quarterback, which they did when they drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall in this year’s selection meeting.

On the other hand, the Jags will need to stop opposing offenses from scoring, that’s why they have spent the offseason upgrading a defense that ranked 31st in both points allowed and total yards last year. In fact, their two biggest acquisitions in free agency were former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Rayshawn Jenkins.

Also, Jacksonville hired Joe Cullen to oversee their defense. The former Baltimore Ravens defensive line coach is currently installing his scheme and it will feature 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. In the end, Cullen is aware it doesn’t matter what system he uses if it can’t stop opposing defenses, that’s why he’s focused on finding what works the best for players.

Griffin recently had a sitdown with the local media and said that as a corner he’s able to move around, travel a little bit more, add some blitzes. All that is possible because Cullen is listening to his players, which sounds like something all coaches do but in reality, many don’t. Here are other takeaways about the Jaguars’ minicamp.