The Jacksonville Jaguars have a pair of dominant pass rushers in Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. However, the depth behind them was non-existent in 2024. Surprisingly, the Jags didn't add reinforcement in free agency and early in the draft. Instead, they waited until the aftermath of the draft to sign veteran Emmanuel Ogbah.
At the time, the move made sense, as the 10-year pass rusher had been a productive rotational piece at his previous stops, racking up a total of 47.5 sacks the past nine seasons. However, he's left much to be desired three games into the regular season.
The Jaguars have gotten minimal production from Emmanuel Ogbah
A second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2016, Emmanuel Ogbah has never reached the 10-sack mark in his career but has been a dependable pass rusher throughout his career. That's why giving him a one-year, $3.25 million deal that could be worth up to $5 million seemed like a sound decision at the time.
Keep in mind that Ogbah didn't need to be a dominant pass rusher in Jacksonville but rather be part of the rotation behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. But even in a reserve role, he's failed to make an impact.
In three games, the former Oklahoma State has played 71 snaps on defense but hasn't logged a single pressure or big play. Meanwhile, safety Eric Murray and linebacker Foyesade Olokun have registered five and four total pressures in the same span, respectively.
Similarly, fellow defensive end Dawuane Smoot has registered two pressures and one sack on 90 snaps. Sure, he's gotten a bit more playing time than Ogbah, but he got a one-year deal worth $1.5 million, meaning that Jacksonville is getting more bang for their buck.
Compounding the issue is that Ogbah is getting snaps that could otherwise be going to rookies Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II. Both of them need to keep honing their skills before they can get meaningful playing time. That said, they showed enough promise in the preseason to make you think that they could become solid rotational pieces.
With Ogbah, in the fold, though, it's hard to see either Striggow or Green getting many snaps.
Emmanuel Ogbah may not stick around with the Jaguars beyond 2025
It's a bit early in the season to make any substantial predictions, but it's hard to picture Emmanuel Ogbah returning next year if he continues to be a non-factor. In fact, nobody will bat an eye if the team's brass kicks him to the curb before the end of 2025. After all, general manager James Gladstone hasn't been afraid to cut ties with underperforming players even if they leave a big dead cap hit.
If either Danny Striggow or B.J. Green shows growth in the upcoming weeks, the Jags may feel comfortable moving on from Emmanuel Ogbah.
Again, it's been just three weeks, but it's clear that the Jaguars have gotten a minimal return on their Emmanuel Ogbah investment.