The Jacksonville Jaguars have put together a well-rounded roster. They don’t have to worry about the most important position on the football field with Trevor Lawrence in the fold. Their offense is loaded with weapons while their defense has plenty of talent at all three levels. That said, the Jags still have room for more game-changers.
In particular, Jacksonville could use help at cornerback and the defensive line. For the sake of argument, let’s say they could poach a player from each of their AFC South rivals to address either need. The following three would most definitely get their attention.
Texans player the Jaguars would like to steal: Derek Stingley Jr.
Player readiness is always variable coming out of college, so it’s not surprising that it took Derek Stingley Jr. a bit to hit his stride. The former LSU Tiger was the third overall pick in the 2022 draft and he was asked to contribute right off the bat. Unfortunately, injuries held him back in his rookie season.
Stingley ended up playing nine games in 2022, registering five passes defensed and one interception. His Pro Football Focus overall grade of 49.1 wasn’t much better, but he was just getting started. While the Louisiana native sat out six games last year, he showed considerable progress on the football field.
Besides logging five interceptions, Stingley posted an 81.8 PFF overall grade. If he manages to stay healthy in 2024, he could have a breakout season. The fact that he will stay in the same scheme for the second straight year should most definitely help.
In Jacksonville, Stingley would solidify the cornerback position. Right now, veteran Ronald Darby is set to start opposite Tyson Campbell, who’s coming off an injury-marred season.
Back in 2022, Campbell was seen as a top-10 cornerback but it’s hard to tell if he’ll be able to bounce back next season. On the other hand, Darby has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, and nobody would be surprised if he misses time.
Rookie Jarrian Jones will also be in the mix but he’s far from a proven commodity. Stingley could come in and provide stability right away.
Colts player the Jaguars would like to steal: DeForest Buckner
The Jaguars were able to fortify their defensive line this past offseason. Last year, they had a couple of playmakers on the edges in Travon Walker and Josh Allen. However, they couldn’t generate pressure from inside or consistently stop the run. Signing Arik Armstead in free agency should fix both issues.
Armstead, a first-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015, signed a three-year deal worth $43.5 million with the Jags. He’ll join a group that includes Roy Robertson-Harrison and Davon Hamilton, who’ll make the switch back to defensive tackle after moving to defensive end last year.
It’s fair to say that the Jaguars’ defensive front looks much better than it has in years but they wouldn’t probably pass up the acquire DeForest Buckner if he somehow became available.
Buckner has somewhat flown under the radar but he’s been one of the most dominant tackles in the NFL since the Indianapolis Colts made him a first-round pick in 2016. Like Armstead, it doesn’t look like he’ll slow down anytime soon.
Just recently, Buckner was named the sixth-best defensive tackle in the NFL. As Pro Football Focus points out, he’s posted 50 pressures or more in each of the past two seasons while registering a combined 16 sacks in that span. While rankings tend to be subjective, you will be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t think the Hawaii native is one of the best at what he does.
Another reason the Jaguars would waste no time acquiring Foster is that he was teammates with Armstead at Oregon. Don’t you think Armstead would welcome a good friend with arms wide open?
In Jacksonville, Buckner and Armstead would form a terrifying duo while Robertson-Harris and Hamilton take on rotational roles. It’s fair to say that the Jaguars’ defensive front would go from good to elite.
Titans player the Jaguars would like to steal: Harold Landry III
The Tennessee Titans didn’t have many things going for them last year. Then-head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Ran Carthon weren’t seemingly on the same page. Carthon’s predecessor, Jon Robinson had left the roster devoid of talent. To make matters worse, injuries dragged the team down. Then again, not everything was doom and gloom in Nashville.
Players fought hard for Vrable. Will Levis flashed enough to get himself a chance to prove next season that he’s the answer at quarterback. Peter Skoronski, a 2023 first-round selection, successfully made the transition to left guard. Moreover, Tennessee had one of the most formidable defensive fronts in the whole league.
But even after knocking the Jaguars out of playoff contention, Vrabel got the boot after the season ended. To replace him, the Titans hired Brian Callahan.
Callaham will have his work cut out but he’ll be inheriting several talented players. One of them is outside linebacker Harold Landry III. A first-round pick in the 2018 draft, Landry became showed promise early in his career but it wasn’t until 2021 that he broke out, registering 12 sacks. Unfortuantely, he suffered a torn ACL that forced him to miss the 2022 season.
On the bright side, Landry was back in 2023 and proved that he was still the same player pre-torn ACL, logging 10 sacks. More than a year removed from the injury, he should have an even bigger impact next season.
The Jaguars have a pair of outstanding pass rushers in Travon Walker and Josh Allen. However, there’s not much depth behind them besides Trevis Gipson. By (somehow) landing Landry, they would have one of the top rotations in the league.
