The Jacksonville Jaguars could use better play from their defensive line in 2023. While the team was top 10 in the NFL in yards allowed per opposing rushing attempt last season, the Jaguars finished 26th in the league in sacks.
After Jacksonville opted against making many changes to the roster in the offseason, it’ll largely be up to the same group of players to find more production than they did in 2022. And it’s safe to say defensive line coach Brentson Buckner won’t be taking it easy on the players he’s tasked with developing.
“I’m always challenging them,” Buckner said on an episode of the Jaguars’ The Hunt. “I’m putting them in situations I know they’re not comfortable because I want them to grow as players and grow as people and be able to face those challenges. I don’t think Jacksonville paid me to be a big cheerleader and cheer what they do good. I think they paid me to make that bad good.
“If you do five things good and 10 things bad, let me make it 10 things good and five things bad. We’re gonna work on that every day. I’m gonna show up every day and you’re going to get tired of me telling you you’re not good at doing that until you finally get to a point, ‘Let me prove coach wrong.’ Then we both win.”
Most under the microscope is the development of 2022 first overall draft pick Travon Walker, who finished his rookie season with just 3.5 sacks. The Jaguars could also use more production from Josh Allen, who had 10.5 sacks as a rookie, but 17 sacks in the last three years.
Buckner, 51, previously coached the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Oakland Raiders defensive lines. He was hired by the Jaguars in February 2022.
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