The Jacksonville Jaguars excelled at stuffing the run in 2025. However, they weren't nearly as successful at pressuring the quarterback, especially from the interior defensive line. Surprisingly, the Jags opted not to take a big swing in the offseason and instead expect rookie Albert Regis and trade acquisition Ruke Orhorhoro to give the interior pass rush a boost.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans have a top-5 defensive tackle in Jeffery Simmons: To ensure he doesn't go anywhere, Tennessee just gave the four-time Pro Bowl nod a three-year extension worth $100 million.
The news around Jeffery's new deal led Tom McManus to wonder whether Jacskonville has a defensive tackle of his caliber on the roster. He isn't sure there's one.
The Jaguars lack a defensive tackle of Jeffery Simmon's caliber
Tom McManus of 1010 XL argues that the Jaguars don't truly have a game-wrecker of Jeffery Simmons' caliber at defensive tackle, noting that Arik Armstead is the best of the bunch.
"Between Arik Armstead, Ruke [Orhorhoro], and Albert Regis, do we have a Jeffrey Simmons?" McManus asked. "The answer is no. We need that interior pass rush. We need it from Arik. I mean, Arik's the guy."
For context, Simmons registered 11 sacks, 17 tackles for a loss, and 21 quarterback hits last year. Not even all the Jaguars' defensive tackles combined posted that kind of production. Arik Armstead was Jacksonville's best defensive tackle when it came to rushing the passer, registering 5.5 sacks. However, he didn't have any in the last seven games of the season.
The Jaguars are counting on Ruke Orhorhoro and Arik Armstead
Aside from John Franklin-Myers, the Jaguars didn't have many enticing options in free agency, so you cannot truly blame them for not making a splash. Compounding the issue is that this year's class of defensive tackle wasn't particularly great. That's probably why they traded for Ruke Ohorhoro days before the draft.
Make no mistake, the Jags have a solid group of defensive tackles. It's just that they lack one that can routinely get after the quarterback. If Arik Armstead stays healthy and produces the way he did before he suffered a hand injury in 2025, the concerns will decrease substantially. On the other hand, Orhorhoro flashed pass-rush potential with the Atlanta Falcons last year and is expected to provide a boost.
However, the Jags don't have many alternatives behind Orhorhoro and Armstead. DaVon Hamilton is a stud against the run but doesn't bring much to the table as a pass rusher. Regis could develop into a dependable rotational piece as the season progresses, but expectations should be tempered early in his rookie campaign.
Given that there aren't many options to add reinforcements at defensive tackle right, Jacksonville may need to take a dive into the waiver wire come cutdown day if the current group doesn't stand out in training camp.
Ultimately, defensive tackle may not necessarily be a weakness for the Jaguars, but it's most definitely a question mark ahead of training camp.
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