The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t make a ton of moves in the 2022 offseason to address their No. 24 ranked defense. Improvements on that side of the ball will largely rest on the development of the team’s early draft picks from last year: Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd, and Chad Muma.
Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, finished his rookie year with 3.5 sacks. Lloyd and Muma split time in the starting lineup at the inside linebacker and received paltry 48.3 and 54.9 grades from Pro Football Focus, respectively.
That leaves a lot of room for growth and Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke is encouraged by the signs he’s seen during the team’s offseason program.
“Really like where those guys are headed,” Baalke said in a podcast with John Oehser of Jaguars.com. “Now it’s early, we’ve only been out on the grass for a few practices this year, but I really like the maturity that they seem to be carrying themselves with.
“They’ve been through it now for a year. They know how to pace themselves, and that’s always a good thing. They know what to expect. There’s less anxiety. They’re freer to learn.
Baalke later said the combination of anxiety that comes with trying to earn a spot, the new environment around them, and the step up in play, makes the jump from college to the NFL difficult for every rookie. After navigating those challenges in 2022, the Jaguars executive thinks Walker, Lloyd, and Muma are primed for bigger things ahead.
Jacksonville finished the 2022 season 26th in the NFL in sacks last season and did little to add pass rushing threats to improve in that category. The Jaguars lost Arden Key in free agency and haven’t yet brokered a deal to bring back Dawuane Smoot.
While the team added Yasir Abdullah in the 2023 NFL draft, expecting a fifth-round rookie to contribute much to the sack total is awfully optimistic.
The Jaguars still have time to add a veteran to bolster the defense before the 2023 season, but the development of Walker, Lloyd, and Muma is paramount for the team’s future.
