Early in the offseason, it seemed like the Jacksonville Jaguars were missing a No. 3 pass rusher behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. This is why they were urged to bring in a veteran to fill the void. However, the Jags were confident that some of their young defensive ends would step up. Looking back, they made the right call.
Rookie Zach Durfee has turned heads throughout the offseason, while sophomore B.J. Green II has shown substantial improvement from last year. And after his impressive outing in the scrimmage, his odds of becoming the No. 3 pass rusher just increased substantially.
B.J. Green II could be the No. 3 pass rusher the Jaguars have been looking for
Throughout training camp, B.J. Green II has made a strong impression, and the scrimmage was no different. The former Colorado Buffalo had three or four sacks, depending on who you ask, along with a handful of tackles for a loss in the mock game.
On top of that, head coach Liam Coen heaped praise on Green after the game, noting that he's shown out against the run and the pass. But wait, there's more!
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile also met with the local media after Day 9 of training camp and said that Green gave the team everything he had, adding that he was getting around the ball even when it wasn't around him.
"Even if the ball wasn't around him, he was getting around the ball."
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 8, 2026
Coach Campanile on how impressed he has been with @bjgreenII's effort on the field. pic.twitter.com/woeDz0hYQJ
Green signed with the Jags after going undrafted in 2025. He and fellow defensive end Danny Striggow managed to make the initial 53-man roster. Although they didn't get much playing time early in the season, they saw an uptick in playing time as the year progressed.
In the end, Green registered two sacks and 15 tackles in 14 games. Based on the progress he's shown in training camp, he should put up even better numbers in Year 2.
The Jaguars need B.J. Green to take the next step
As promising as Zach Durfee has looked, B.J. Green may have a better chance to be the No. 3 pass rusher next season. Then again, both of them, along with Danny Striggow, should be part of the pass-rush rotation. If that's the case, the Jaguars may at last be able to fix an issue they've dealt with dealing back to 2023.
Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen are one of the scariest pass-rush tandems in the league, but Jacksonville hasn't been able to find a No. 3 behind them. K'Lavon Chaisson was supposed to fill that role but wasn't able to do it during his stint in Duval. This is why he was shown the door in 2024. On the other hand, Dawuane Smoot was a fine rotational piece in his heyday but has lost a step. Heck, he was a drop-off in playing time late in 2025.
With Durfee, Green, and Striggow in the mix, though, the Jaguars' pass rush may be in better shape than expected. Looking back, their restraint in adding a veteran looks brilliant.
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