It’s no secret that Jacksonville’s front seven has a lot of work to do after last season. The unit was a sieve against the run last season, finishing third from last in the league in rushing yards allowed. But at the same time, there’s reason for optimism.
One of those reasons is the play of defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton as a rookie. The third-round pick was a key rotational player, notching 30 tackles and a fumble recovery, as well as his first career sack against Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers.
Hamilton is expected to play a major role in the defensive line rotation again in 2021, but this time, he’ll have some more help around him. The team added several veteran interior defensive linemen, including Roy Robertson-Harris and Malcom Brown, the latter being acquired from New Orleans in a trade.
Both saw starting action with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, respectively, last season, and Hamilton mentioned Brown specifically as being an impactful addition to the unit.
“He definitely brings something to the defensive group, he’s definitely a leader for our defense,” Hamilton said. “And for me, he’s just another vet in the room that’s able to help me out, critique some things that I normally wouldn’t see and ultimately make me better.”
The Jaguars should be happy to see Hamilton taking advantage of the opportunity to learn. After all, they could very well be relying on him to start in the years to come. And it seems he’s not just learning from the veterans on his side of the ball.
Hamilton also mentioned that he’s learning from center Brandon Linder, one of the top players at his position in the NFL and the guy who lines up directly across from him.
“I love going against Linder because he’s a good vet,” Hamilton said. “He’s also one of the best centers in the league, and I can’t ask any more from him. I mean, he’s just giving me advice, helping me get better every day and I mean, I can’t beat it.”
Jacksonville’s defense may be a limiting factor once again, but it seems that players like Hamilton are benefitting from the new talent in the locker room. The Jaguars can only hope it leads to a big Year 2 from him.