What We Learned About the Jaguars in 2022: Defensive Review

The Jacksonville Jaguars' 2022 season was one for the ages.

After just four wins in the previous two seasons combined, the Jaguars won the AFC South in thrilling fashion with a 9-8 record, won a home playoff game in the final seconds vs. Justin Herbert, and went down to the wire with Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a hostile playoff environment.

For a team to do that, a lot has to change. It started with head coach Doug Pederson instilling a new culture in and out of the locker room and a retooling of the roster in free-agency and the draft by general manager Trent Baalke's front office alongside Pederson's coaching staff.

"We’re paid to do a job, and our job is to put the best product we can on the field. I’ve never listened to the noise," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said this week. "The noise doesn’t determine the decisions that we’re going to make as an organization. I think the best thing you can do when there’s a lot of noise is put ear plugs in and go about your job, and that’s what we tried to do. Again, it’s never one person that makes these decisions.

"It's a group decision, organizational decision. Doug (Pederson) and I are very much involved together in this process, and we involve everybody underneath us to the nth degree. There’s a lot of collaboration that people don’t see behind the scenes.”

Now, we have a chance to look at just how much the Jaguars showed us and what we learned about each piece of the team. Offense, defense, special teams, coaching, front office, and everything in between.

After going through the offense, we are now moving onto the defense, led by first-year coordinator Mike Caldwell. 

Jacksonville's defense had highs and lows in 2022 but eventually hit its stride toward the end of the season, going a whole month without allowing a second-half touchdown and making several game-changing plays that outright won games in deciding moments.

“Yeah, I thought really after we started getting into that Baltimore week and beyond, I thought we really started doing some really good things. We started creating takeaways," Pederson said this week. 

"It’s just down here in the stretch, you get down here in the post season, we didn’t get the ball, didn’t take the ball away as much as we’d like to, and that’s something we’ve got to look at, and continue to focus on, but they showed that improvement over that time.”

So, what did we learn about the defense in 2022? A look below.

Edge rushers 

What we learned: The Jaguars have a formula that works as long as players take the next steps. If the Jaguars bring back Arden Key and Dawuane Smoot, they will have four capable pass-rushers between them, Josh Allen and Travon Walker. Walker has to get better as a pass-rusher, but his late-season surge suggested he is capable of doing so. Pound-for-pound, this year's pass-rush group was the best the Jaguars have had in years, they just didn't convert pressures into sacks often enough.

What to watch moving forward: Will the Jaguars look to add to this rotation? There were not many snaps in the defense for edge defenders who were further down the depth chart such as K'Lavon Chaisson and De'Shaan Dixon. Injuries to Walker and Smoot at different points in 2022 showed just how thin the depth was, though, and the Jaguars could look to bolster the room even further.

Interior defensive line  

What we learned: Roy Robertson-Harris was a force for the Jaguars down the stretch. The Jaguars needed an interior pass-rusher to step up with Smoot out for the season and Robertson-Harris did just that, recording 20 pressure, eight quarterback hits, three sacks, and seven quarterback hits over the final five weeks. He played the best football of his Jaguars' tenure and showed that he is deserving of being a key piece in 2023.

What to watch moving forward: The Jaguars will have to invest in the defensive line in some fashion. They entered the season light on bodies and are set to lose Corey Peters and Adam Gotis to free-agency, opening up valuable rotational snaps. They could bring either/both veterans back, but it would make sense to see the Jaguars add some new faces either way in 2023.

Safety 

What we learned: Andre Cisco and Rayshawn Jenkins are playmakers. The duo combined for six interceptions, 20 pass deflections, two defensive touchdowns, three forced fumbles, two sacks, and four tackles for loss during the regular season. While the Jaguars may still want to see an improvement in down-to-down consistency, the Jaguars have seen a high ceiling come out of the safety room.

What to watch moving forward: Will the Jaguars bring back No. 3 safety and core special teamer Andrew Wingard? Wingard recorded an interception and a forced fumble and came up clutch during a period of the season where Cisco missed time due to a shoulder injury. He is an obvious culture fit, and bringing him back would probably make sense for all parties. 

Cornerback 

What we learned: The Jaguars have their outside cornerbacks for 2023. This was a genuine question earlier in the season, but the improved play of Darious Williams when moved from the slot to the outside in Week 13 changed the complexion of the defense. Williams and Tyson Campbell were targeted 69 times in that span, allowing just 38 completions (55%) for 333 yards, 12 pass breakups and one interception. They played good football and helped the Jaguars find a winning formula at cornerback after a rotating cast of characters opposite Campbell. 

What to watch moving forward: What do the Jaguars do at nickel? Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has already said Darious Williams will stay on the outside. Tre Herndon was the team's best nickel corner in 2022, providing solid run defense and consistency after Williams was miscast in the role. With Herndon a free agent, however, the Jaguars need to find a solution for 2023. The best-case scenario? Adding a rookie and re-signing Herndon for a camp battle. 

Linebackers

What we learned: Foyesade Oluokun is a hammer. Oluokun was exactly the kind of linebacker the Jaguars were missing against the run in previous years, providing more reliability as a downhill player while also having the range to make tackles at the perimeter. Oluokun racked up tackles each game not because it was by design, but because he played the fundamentals of the position as well as one could.

What to watch moving forward: The Jaguars could look to rotate both Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma in 2023 like they did this past season, but it will still be interesting to see who takes the driver's seat in the race to start opposite Oluokun. The Jaguars will need each to be better next year, creating a key position battle to watch moving into the future.