With the NFL Draft less than a month away, it's abundantly clear that the Jacksonville Jaguars need to address the interior defensive line and the pass rush. Although there were several appealing options to get it done in free agency, cap constraints prevented them from making a splash.
Now, the best path to bolster the defensive trenches is the draft. That said, a few options remain unsigned if the Jags want to address the pass rush. Zachary Perales of CBS Sports just suggested one they know quite well.
The Jaguars are being urged to sign Calais Campbell to address the pass rush
Zachary Perales drew up a list of every NFL team's most glaring need after free agency and potential free-agency and draft fits. For the Jaguars, he chose defensive tackle and suggested they sign Calais Campbell, pointing out that they need someone who can push the pocket from the interior.
"The Jaguars have Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker leading the pass rush, but they desperately need more up front," Perales wrote. "Reuniting with Campbell would give them some much-needed interior pocket pushing ability, and the same goes for McDonald, who is 25th in CBS Sports' NFL Draft Prospect Ranking."
For context, Kayden McDonald is projected to go in the first round of the draft. While there's a chance he will slide to the second, that seems like a remote possibility after his impressive outing at the Ohio State Pro Day. Moreover, there are several other teams that pick before Jacksonville that have a need for reinforcements at defensive tackle.
This is a long-winded way to say that the Jags probably won't be able to draft McDonald unless they trade up. On the other hand, Christen Miller and Lee Hunter might still be on the board when Jacksonville is on the clock.
Anyway. Circling back to Campbell, he's still productive at 39, having just registered 6.5 sacks with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025. The year before, he had five with the Miami Dolphins. Simply put, he still has a bit of football left in him. However, he's closer to the end of his football career than the end.
A second-round pick in 2008, Campbell spent 10 years with the Cards before signing with the Jags in 2017. He went on to post a career-best 14.5 sacks and become a pivotal piece of the Sacksonville defense that year.
The Mayor had a combined 17.0 sacks the next two years, but instead of rewarding him with an extension in 2020, then-general manager David Caldwell traded him to the Baltimore Ravens. After three seasons with the Ravens, Campbell spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, the Miami Dolphins, and, more recently, Arizona (his second stint).
Why the Jaguars need to pass on Calais Campbell (for now)
Keep in mind that the Jaguars were close to arranging a reunion with Calais Campbell in 2023, but Trent Baalke opted against it. He couldn't help them last year, but it's hard to tell if he would be able to this time around.
Make no mistake, the six-time Pro Bowl nod remains a productive pass rusher, and he wouldn't have to start in Jacksonville. Instead, he would be part of a rotation behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. But that's the thing, he would be a short fix. Couple that with the fact that he could hinder the progress of sophomores Danny Striggow, B.J. Green Jr., and whatever pass rushers the Jags draft, and it does not make much sense to bring him back.
That said, if the Jaguars fail to properly address the pass rush in the draft, and Calais Campbell remains available, signing him then becomes a reasonable option.