Quarterback is the most important position in football, so it’s not surprising that coach Urban Meyer feels it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars’ top priority. But at his press conference on Tuesday, he also spoke of the defensive line.
“I always believe you build your team around the defensive line, and then you move backwards – so that’s what we’re going to do,” Meyer said to the media.
Jacksonville had one of the worst defenses in the league in 2020, finishing second to last in both points and yards allowed. The defensive line was a major reason for that, as it struggled to stop the run and pressure opposing quarterbacks.
The Jaguars have a pair of young edge rushers in Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson who are promising, but there are still a number of holes, especially at the interior.
“The defensive line will be solidified first, then we’ll move to the back of the defense,” Meyer added. “Our defensive secondary needs to be revamped at a few spots. We have a lot of work to do, but there are some great young pieces. Josh Allen … his first year was a little better than last year, but as far as a person … I met his family. I want that guy around here as long as we can have him.”
One of Jacksonville’s top free-agent options at defensive tackle, New York’s Leonard Williams, was franchise tagged by the Giants. The pool of options is a bit thinner than the Jaguars had hoped it would be, but there’s still a number of potential upgrades available.
“There is one commonality of great teams: they have great defensive lines,” Meyer said. “You can’t avoid that. There are ways to hide other things, but you have to have a strong defensive line. We’re committed to do that here.”
Jacksonville can start negotiating with free agents on Monday, and they can sign those deals when the new league year begins on Wednesday.