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2 ways for Jaguars to address most pressing offseason need
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- 2 ways for Jaguars to address most pressing offseason need
After a quiet start to free agency for the Jacksonville Jaguars , there is still one glaring need that exists: boosting the pass rush.
Along the defensive front, the need for the Jaguars is twofold. For starters, at both defensive end and tackle, depth and competition are needed at each position. But in addition to that, more pass rush juice is required as well.
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After the season, when Liam Coen was asked where the Jaguars could improve, one of the areas he mentioned was in their ability to affect the quarterback.
While the Jaguars boasted the NFL's stingiest run defense last season, Jacksonville ranked 18th in pressure rate and 27th in sacks.
Free agent options for Jaguars
There are still free agent options out there for the Jaguars to bolster their defensive end and tackle rotations.
According to Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com , some of the best available free agents at this point include defensive ends Joey Bosa , AJ Epenesa, Cameron Jordan , Kyle Van Noy , and Jadeveon Clowney . At defensive tackle, Calais Campbell , DJ Reader , and DaQuan Jones remain available.
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The potential issue, however, is that the Jaguars won't want any additions to impact the compensatory draft picks they receive for the 2027 NFL draft. This is one of the main reasons behind the Jaguars' quiet start to free agency.
What about the NFL draft?
The Jaguars may not have a first-round pick, but they have 11 picks in total, including four selections in the top 100.
However, when it comes to the defensive tackle position, as ESPN's Ben Solak highlighted recently, finding immediate impact help may not be easy. But at defensive end, the Jaguars should have the ability to add some juice to that rotation behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker .
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Some of the defensive tackle options on Mel Kiper's big board include Christen Miller, Gracen Halton, Darrell Jackson Jr. , and Domonique Oranage. At defensive end, Kiper has TJ Parker, Dani Dennis-Sutton , Gabe Jacas , and Caden Curry.
During his free agency press conference, GM James Gladstone addressed the need along the defensive line and how the Jaguars are approaching that position group this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: NFL free agency: Best options for Jaguars to address pass rush
