The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of concerns on their roster, but one area they seem to have improved at this offseason is at linebacker. They made a big-time signing for the group in free-agency and also invested a first-round pick into the unit. That said, it will be one of the more interesting groups to watch in 2020.
As we continue our depth chart previews before training camp, here’s how we think the group’s pecking order will look at linebacker when the Jags return for the preseason.
| Strongside linebacker | Middle linebacker | Weakside linebacker | |
| No. 1 | K’Lavon Chaisson | Joe Schobert | Myles Jack |
| No. 3 |
Leon Jacobs |
Shaq Quarterman | Quincy Williams |
| No. 4 | Cassius Marsh | Dakota Allen | Joe Giles-Harris |
| No. 5 | Aaron Lynch | Nate Evans |
As mentioned in our defensive end preview, first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson received a great deal of praise from the front office about his versatility. They like his ability to play both from two-point and three-point stance, so it appears he could stand up on early downs and move to defensive end on third downs.
Leon Jacobs has been the starter at strongside linebacker since being drafted in 2018 and shouldn’t be ruled out to start again despite us listing him as the No. 2. With a limited preseason, the Jags may feel comfortable with letting him remain the starter, however, Chaisson is a better overall athlete and pass-rusher from two-point stance.
Lastly, at strongside linebacker, the Jags have free-agent veterans Cassius Marsh and Aaron Lynch. Marsh, like Chaisson, has the ability to play defensive end, too, which may give him an edge over Lynch if both are viewed as bubble players.
Of course, after the Jags invested a lot of money into him this offseason, Joe Schobert will start at middle linebacker. The Jags made the wise choice to acquire him after Myles Jack struggled at MIKE linebacker last year after signing a huge contract extension. Now, with Schobert in the picture, Jack can move to weakside linebacker where he has the speed and ability to flourish as a downhill tackler.
Schobert will bring plenty of experience and leadership to the table with nearly 50 starts. He deservedly got a Pro Bowl nod in 2017, too, and has accumulated at least 128 tackles in two of the last three years.
Behind Schobert at the middle linebacker position will be fourth-round pick, Shaq Quarterman. While he’s limited athletically, he was an ironman for the Miami Hurricanes, playing in all 56 games he was there and racking up 356 total tackles.
Dakota Allen, a former seventh-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, could be fighting for a roster spot as the third middle linebacker on the team. He had a strong preseason last year as a rookie and could garner the attention of the staff with a strong showing heading into roster cuts.
Of course, as we already mentioned, the weakside linebacker position belongs to Jack. However, behind him will be Quincy Williams, Joe Giles-Harris, and Nate Evans.
Williams, a third-round selection from 2019, struggled mightily last season when called on to start. However, with a year of experience under his belt, he could be significantly improved in 2020 and it’s hard to see him not making the team because of potential alone.
Giles-Harris, who was an undrafted free-agent from the 2019 class, played in five games and could make the roster as a special teamer with a strong preseason. However, a roster spot won’t come easy with Evans, an undrafted free-agent rookie from Central Florida, who is lurking and hungry to make an impact.