![Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker (44) talks with Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah (90) during the fourth organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Tuesday, May 27, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4275,h_2404/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01jwp2zz0etwbq1h46k8.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker (44) talks with Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah (90) during the fourth organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Tuesday, May 27, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
With Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen in the fold, fortifying the pass rush wasn't a priority for the Jacksonville Jaguars early in the offseason. However, that didn't stop them from signing Emmanuel Ogbah after the NFL Draft to round out their rotation. Just recently, he discussed the things that convinced him to join the Jags.
Ogbah had a one-on-one exchange with Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL after Day 4 of Organized Team Activities and said that the prospect of playing for Anthony Campanile was too good to pass up, noting that the Jaguars defensive coordinator recruited him in the offseason.
"Oh man, I wouldn't say a really long journey, because up the street, but now it's awesome being here," Ogbah responded when asked to share the journey that led him to Jacksonville. "I have a familiarity with Camp, so he talked to me during the offseason. He said, 'Hey, man, I'd like to, you know, join our group.' That good relationship with Cam, I said, I got you, man, let's do this. Let's make it happen. So I'm happy to be here."
Ogbah later described Campanile as the kind of coach who cares for his players but will also push them to get the most out of them.
"Oh, energy, toughness, and a great, great football knowledge. He's going to go out there, give it his all. He brings that energy. If you're down, he's going to pick you up. That's the type of coach. He is family-oriented. He checks on his players. He loves his players, that's something you miss as a professional athlete, a coach that actually cares about you. And then he's one of the ones too," Ogbah said.
A second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2016, Ogbah signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2020. That's where he got to meet Campanile. Although he wasn't his position coach, the two surely spent a lot of time together.
Campanile left in 2024 to become the linebackers coach and run defense coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. And after one season, he became the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville, where he's once again reunited with Ogbah.
Emmanuel Ogbah is poised to have a banner season with the Jaguars
Emmanuel Ogbah has never crossed the 10-sack mark in a season but has been a dependable pass-rusher, logging 47.5 sacks in 147 career games. The most productive stretch of his career (18 sacks in two years came when Anthony Campanile served as a coach for the Miami Dolphins, so there's a reason to believe he'll have an immediate impact for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen set to start, Ogbah won't have to start, but that doesn't make him any less valuable. Sure, he'll have fewer opportunities to get after the quarterback, but less playing time means he'll stay fresher throughout the game, which will, in turn, increase his productivity.
Arik Armstead was the No. 3 pass rusher in Jacksonville and logged two sacks. With him switching back to defensive tackle, expecting Ogbah to double or even triple that amount next season isn't out of the realm of possibility.
Signing Emmanuel Ogbah after the NFL Draft isn't the kind of move that generates a lot of headlines, but it surely improves the Jaguars.