Jeremiah Ledbetter spent time on four different NFL rosters, including two separate stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. The veteran defensive lineman is hoping he won’t be suiting up for a sixth team any time soon.
“Not everybody is with one team their whole career,” Ledbetter told News4Jax on Tuesday. “They travel and do what they need to do, but you know what, I think that’s very huge for me to make a home here in Jacksonville and just make plays for this team so I can call this home.”
Ledbetter, 29, is a lock for the 53-man roster after a strong camp and a dominant preseason. In the Jaguars’ 25-7 win against the Detroit Lions, the lineman was unstoppable and earned a 95.2 grade from PFF, more than 11 points higher than any other player on the team.
With DaVon Hamilton nursing a back issue, the Jaguars could lean on Ledbetter’s contributions into the regular season too.
“He’s a guy that is like a pocketknife, he can do a little bit of everything,” Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said of Ledbetter on Wednesday. “Whatever you need him to do, he can play the nose, he can play a 3-technique, he can play a 5-technique, he has pass rush ability inside.
“He’s a guy that has a variety of different talents and now he’s starting to master his talent. It’s starting to show. He had a great game for us the other night, he had a solid camp and he’s someone that right now we need to continue to improve and get better.”
During his rookie season with the Detroit Lions in 2017, Ledbetter was on the field for 469 total snaps. In the next five seasons, he was on the field for just 84 snaps, including only 11 with the Jaguars. That seems set to change in 2023 as Ledbetter appears to have finally found a place in Jacksonville.
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