JAGUARS' LINEBACKERS RANKED 12TH BY PFF

Will the Jaguars' linebackers be the strength of the defense in 2020?

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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Pro Football Focus has been busy, ranking NFL position groups from top to bottom. Needless to say, the Jaguars have not fared well so far. However, earlier today, PFF ranked linebacker units heading into the 2020 season. To my surprise, the Jaguars ranked in the top half of the league.

Let's take a look: 

​12. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

There’s no sugarcoating the Jaguars’ performance last season — their linebackers had by far the worst overall grade in the league (30.1). Myles Jack disappointed with the lowest grade of his career at 45.9 overall and looked a step slow in coverage on his way to a 45.8 mark. Jack was a rangy playmaker in his first three years in the league, so he needs to bounce back to get this unit moving in the right direction.

The Jaguars signed Joe Schobert, who produced the eighth-best coverage grade among linebackers over the past two years (83.6). The former college edge rusher has taken to the position switch and become an excellent zone defender, though he’s struggled against the run with a 46.8 grade over the past two years. In addition, 2019 third-rounder Quincy Williams struggled to a 33.1 overall grade on 494 snaps while other players who are no longer on the team added to the poor performances from Jacksonville linebackers.

Jacksonville drafted Shaquille Quarterman, who adds a solid presence in run defense and as a blitzer after a strong career at Miami. On paper, this should be one of the better linebacker units in the league, but that’s dependent on Jack bouncing back and Schobert improving his game against the run. 

PFF's Steve Palazzolo hits the nail on the head here in regards to Myles Jack. Moving him to weakside linebacker should, in theory, allow him to be a more instinctual playmaker, more in line with what we saw during the early part of his career. And while I think Joe Schobert's struggles in run defense are a bit overblown, as evidenced by 133 tackles and seven tackles for loss in 2019, Schobert could stand to improve his block shedding. Having a true middle linebacker, one who understands the nuances of the defense, should improve the entire defensive unit. And most importantly, Joe Schobert and Myles Jack now have each other to lean on. Both players were a bit of a one-man show in 2019. Having a competent partner should work wonders for both players' confidence and allow them to focus on their assignment instead of overcompensating for squeaky wheels around them. 

The Jaguars also boast Leon Jacobs at SAM, who's been very consistent over his first two years in the league. Their depth should be improved as well, with Shaq Quarterman playing behind Schobert in the middle and Quincy Williams backup Jack on the weakside. 

I might have the Jaguars' linebackers ranked a bit higher than twelve, but I don't think it's an unreasonable ranking.

Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis. 

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