5 big-name free agents Jaguars can sign this offseason

No. 4 big-name free agent Jaguars must sign in 2022 – Harold Landry.

The Jaguars will have a tough choice to make with the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. They can either take Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal or bolster their pass rush and draft Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux. If they opt for Neal, they can then turn their attention to free agency. Specifically, Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry.

The 2018 second-round pick had a breakout season in 2021, posting 12 sacks, 74 total tackles, and 14 tackles for a loss. Even though the Titans lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round of the playoffs, their defense pressured quarterback Joe Burrow throughout most of the game and registered a jaw-dropping nine sacks. Landry chipped in 1.5 of them.

Top pass rushers don’t grow on trees and the Jaguars would get one in Landry. Pro Football Focus predicts he will ink a four-year, $60 million contract with $32 million guaranteed this offseason. While that’s a hefty amount, he would give Jacksonville’s defense a playmaker opposite Josh Allen and help them increase their 2021 sack tally of 32.

The problem with signing Landry is that Allen is entering the fourth year of his rookie year and may also want a deal. If the Jags don’t mind allocating so much money to the position, it won’t be an issue. If they do, they might be better off passing on Landry and giving Allen a contract extension despite the fact that they can use the fifth-year option.