While the Jacksonville Jaguars bolstered nearly every position group in the offseason, they didn't make upgrades at defensive tackle. At the time, it made sense because they expected Maason Smith to make a leap in Year 2. On top of that, Arik Armstead moved back inside after mostly lining up on the edge in 2024. Unfortunately, things haven't played the way the Jags thought, and they find themselves with a potential need ahead of the regular season.
Smith landed on the Physically Unable to Return list to open training camp and has yet to return. On the other hand, Armstead is nursing a back injury and has also missed significant time. Although he will tentatively return for the regular season, his absence has raised concerns.
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The Jaguars need Arik Armstead and Maason Smith back in the fold
Team announcer Jeff Lageman made an appearance on 1010XL and said that Jacksonville needs Maason Smith and Arik Armstead, pointing out that the depth at defensive tackle is underwhelming.
"They need those two guys. I mean, just be honest. I mean, look, that's a position that is going to probably get a lot of attention after this year, and maybe even at some point of cutdown day, and it's gotten some attention recently," Lageman responded on Jaguars today when asked what he saw in the preseason opener. "They signed, what was this guy? Austin Johnson, just this past week. I mean, I think that right there ought to tell you where they think they're at."
Lageman continued, "And the reality is, in the game the other night, it was, even, like the two guys that I kind of was expecting to take a step forward for this football team this year, which is DaVon Hamilton, who was kind of trending up at the end of last year a little bit, and then Jordan Jefferson, who I thought was pretty good. These guys got to strain more. They got to have some violent departures. They're getting blocked. I mean that when you get blocked, there's a point to where you have to just go, all right? It's time to rag doll this guy and get off and make a play and and I just feel at times that they're sticky. They're just sticky on the offensive linemen."
Later in the exchange, Lageman noted that Jefferson has struggled against double teams and Hamilton with leaving blocks. This led him to say that the Jags desperately need Armstead and Smith back.
In light of injuries at defensive tackle, the Jags signed veteran Austin Johnson to provide insurance. Johnson is a 10-year veteran who's played for the Tennessee Titans, the New York Giants, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Buffalo Bills.
The Jaguars could be in trouble at defensive tackle next season
While there's a bit of time before the regular season, you can't blame the Jacksonville Jaguars if they feel a bit fidgety about the state of the defensive tackle position.
Sure, it's encouraging to see Arik Armstead back to practice. As a grizzled veteran, he doesn't need live reps to get ready to play. That said, head coach Liam Coen's remarks about him not being sure whether the 11-year defensive tackle will be back for the season opener most definitely raise red flags.
On the other hand, it was a bit shocking to see Maason Smith land on PUP. The fact that the team's brass didn't share any details makes the injury a tad more puzzling. Still, this wouldn't be a concern if either DaVon Hamilton or Jordan Jefferson were coming through, but that's not the case.
In the end, though, this won't be an issue if both Maason Smith and Arik Armstead are back for Week 1 of the regular season. However, the Jaguars could be in trouble if either one of them isn't available for an extended period in 2025.