Recent developments in the free-agent market have once again caused fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars to ask themselves whether there's really a solid EDGE3 on the roster. Look, every general manager thinks their last move was their best one, but it doesn't look like there's a backup on the defensive line who's due to give Anthony Campanile 5.5 sacks or more off the bench.
Of course, training camp is the perfect place to prove people like me wrong and make a whole lot of cash while doing so. For B.J. Green II, the next few weeks could be the best window of opportunity he ever sees in his pro career.
Sports Illustrated's John Shipley might feel the same way, as he recently wrote that Green "has put together a strong training camp [and] entered camp needing to stand out to find a real role in the Jaguars' pass rush rotation." The Colorado Buff was all over the field during the Jags' fourth day of practice, and he's "checked a lot of boxes," according to Shipley's analysis.
Other blurbs out of training camp have also hinted that Green's development is on the right track this summer. If true, that's great news for those of us looking for more disruption from Jacksonville's defensive front in 2026.
B.J. Green's emergence would immediately erase the Jaguars' lack of depth on the edge
If we asked James Gladstone what his plan to address the Jaguars' lack of depth on edge was, he'd probably tell us that his scheme was put in motion around a year ago. B.J. Green and Danny Striggow both made the 53-man roster after arriving in Jacksonville as undrafted free agents. This past spring, Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee were drafted by the front office to inject some young blood into the D-Line room.
Of the four names I just listed, Green has done the most at the NFL level to show he can be a solid rotational pass rusher moving forward. Yes, none of the players named have been in the league long enough for a hot cup of coffee to cool down, but I'm trying my best to see things from Gladstone's perspective.
In 2025, Green racked up 15 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery. Notably, he did all of that off the bench with zero stars in a system that focused heavily on stopping the run. Going into Year 2, it's likely that the Nashville, Tennessee native will get a higher of snaps than he did as a rookie if he can earn his coaches' trust. So far, it looks like he's making strides in that area, too.
In a recent session with the media, Liam Coen praised Green but said that the second-year defensive end has to work on "setting vertical edges in the run game." However, the offensive guru also remarked that the young lineman "can get underneath your pads [and is] a problem for tight ends, especially at the point of attack."
Interestingly, Green's hunt for improvement has also led to conversations where he'd jokingly ask Coen how many times he'd need to blow up the offense before finally getting "thrown out of practice."
The 23-year-old player still has a long way to go, but it seems like Green has the intangibles and physical tools to give the Jaguars a third defensive end to rely on whenever Josh Hines-Allen or Travon Walker need a break. If he keeps progressing the way he has thus far, he could cement his place in Jacksonville's rotation for years to come. Hopefully, that'll result in the emerging stud getting a nice payday as well.
Add us as a preferred source on Google