JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a host of critical training camp battles when next week rolls around, but perhaps none are more unpredictable than the one at defensive end.
The entire football world knows the Jaguars will have Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen at the top of their defensive end chart in 2026, and for years to come after that. But what happens at the top backup defensive end spots is one question that will not be answered until training camp.
Why is this battle important? Because the two top backup defensive ends from a year ago, Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah combined for 773 snaps last year. Injuries to Travon Walker played a role in those numbers, but that is still quite the package of snaps the Jaguars now have to replace. So, who might be the ones replacing them?
Jaguars Zach Durfee (58) jokes around with players during the Jaguars' fourth OTA of the year, Monday June 1, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The leading candidate to be the team's No. 3 defensive end is likely second-year defender Danny Striggow. An undrafted free agent find a year ago, Striggow made the Jaguars' roster out of training camp thanks in part due to his special teams ability, but also in part due to what he showed the Jaguars at defensive end over the course of an impressive training camp and preseason. He has the traits to be an every-down player thanks to his ability to stop the run.
B.J. Green joined Striggow as an undrafted free agent last year, and he was able to start making an impact on defense as his snaps went up over the course of the year. Green has a much different skill-set than Striggow, and he will win as a pass-rusher more with his speed and explosiveness off the ball than anything else.
Wesley Williams was the first of two defensive ends the Jaguars drafted, with Jacksonville trading up in the fourth-round to secure the Duke product. The Jaguars have heaped praise onto Williams at multiple points, and his game should translate even better on the practice field once the Jaguars are back in pads.
Durfee, meanwhile, has the looks of a potential late Day 3 gem after the Jaguars nabbed him in the seventh round in April. He has enticing athletic upside and pass-rush traits, especially for a pick so late in the draft. He is a name to watch moving forward.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, center, stands over his crew after the second day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Jacksonville. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Run defense. When it comes to playing defensive end in an Anthony Campanile scheme, you must be able to provide a role in the run defense. That is what helped Striggow in particular become a bigger piece of the defense a season ago, and it is a big reason why the Jaguars finished the year with the No. 1 run defense in the NFL. It is in large part because of his run defense that Striggow should be the leading candidate for the key No. 3 role.
Williams is also coming into the NFL as a strong edge-setter, while Campanile has givenpraise to Durfee for his ability to play the run while also having the athletic traits of a 3-4 outside linebacker. It is against the run for Green might have to make his biggest leap during his second season, though he certaiinly has the mindset to do so.
Because of this factor, do not be surprised if you see Williams or Durfee potentially play more snaps than previously anticipated. If the Jaguars can trust them on early downs, then they will have a significantly better chance to see the field as rookies.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Danny Striggow (92), left, drills on defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan (59) during the first day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
As we noted, the Jaguars lost a lot of snaps in the defensive end room when they opted not to re-sign Smoot and Ogbah. The Jaguars are clearly all-in on the idea of a youthful and cheap defensive end room behind Hines-Allen and Walker after going with veteran options in the same role last year, and it is easy to see why. The Jaguars' defense got better last year when the young guns started playing over Smoot and Ogbah, and the Jaguars are now taking that and running with it.
Will the winners of this battle be nearly as important to the Jaguars' cause as Hines-Allen or Walker? Of course not, but they will still be key cogs to what the Jaguars do defensively. We saw last year what the impact of injuries can have on a pass-rush, and it will be up to this group to step up to ensure this doesn't repeat.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jaguars/onsi as Jaguars Training Camp Battles: Who Leads the Charge For Top Backup DE Spots .
