![Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Jalen McLeod (53) walks onto the field before an NFL scrimmage at EverBank Stadium Friday August 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2695,h_1515/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01kv62937b0vmmcs482p.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Jalen McLeod (53) walks onto the field before an NFL scrimmage at EverBank Stadium Friday August 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
The Jacskonville Jaguars have been urged throughout the offseason to add a veteran pass rusher to round out their rotation behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. However, they appear to be pleased with the group they currently have.
Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II are expected to make a leap in Year 2, while rookies Zach Durfee and Wesley Williams have massive upside. Lost in the shuffle is sophomore Jalen McLeod, who's looking to make an impact after sitting out his rookie season with a lower-body injury.
McLeod stood out in mandatory minicamp and is trending toward being an unexpected contributor next season.
Jalen McLeod is watching his stock surge after Jaguars minicamp
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated shared his takeaways from mandatory minicamp. He says Jalen McLeod flashed pass-rush potential, adding that he could be a sleeper next season. In a different article, Shipley reported that the former Auburn Tiger made the most of his reps, noting that he could be in the mix for a SAM linebacker job.
"McLeod flashed some legit pass-rush traits over the course of minicamp, even without pads on," Shipley wrote. "He has some explosiveness and twitch to his game that the Jaguars have needed in their pass-rush rotation, and he seems to be firmly in the mix to compete for a roster spot on the SAM linebacker depth chart. McLeod, like Ransaw, needed to take advantage of his reps this Summer, and he did exactly that."
Like McLeod, safety Caleb Ransaw sat out his rookie campaign but is expected to compete for playing time.
The Jaguars routinely ran a nickel formation as their base defense last year, so they often didn't have three linebackers on the field. When they did, though, Dennis Gardeck was the No. 3 alongside Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd.
While Lloyd bolted in free agency, Gardeck returned on a two-year deal. He'll once again rush the quarterback from a standup position. McLeod could be the primary backup behind him and possibly get defensive snaps.
Jalen McLeod could give the Jaguars pass rush an unexpected boost
The Jaguars didn't have a reliable No. 3 pass rusher in 2025. With Travon Walker dealing with injuries, defensive tackle Arik Armstead's 5.5 sacks ranked second behind Josh Hines-Allen. Sure, Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II flashed, but neither was able to pressure on a consistent basis. It also didn't help that, aside from Armstead, Jacksonville could bring the heat from the interior.
Thus, the pass rush has been a question mark for the Jags this season. However, they opted not to bring in a veteran and instead drafted Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee to round out their rotation. On top of that, Green and Striggow are expected to improve in Year 2.
Meanwhile, Jalen McLeon isn't brought up often when discussing the pass rush because he missed his rookie campaign. The good news is that he's working to join the conversation but may need to compete with Yasir Abdullah and rookie Parker Hughes if he ultimately wants to see the field.
Of course, Jalen McLeod will need to build off his intriguing outing at rookie minicamp and make an impression when the pads come on in training camp. If he does, he could give the pass rush an unexpected boost.
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