JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – “Marrone’s not taking any B-S.” That’s how Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson described how things are different now that Doug Marrone is the head coach. Jackson was the Jaguars biggest prize on last year’s free agent market. He responded by registering a career high 6.5 sacks last season.
Losing isn’t something that Jackson is accustomed to or willing to accept. He spent his first four NFL seasons with Denver and played a large role in helping the Broncos win the Super Bowl in 2015.
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Position: Defensive tackle
2016 Stats: In addition to the 6.5 sacks, Jackson was credited with 33 tackles last season. Those numbers don’t truly represent his full impact. According to pro football focus Jackson had 55 total QB pressures which ranked fifth out of 68 qualifying interior defensive linemen.
2017 Projection: Thanks to the addition of Calais Campbell on the defensive line, Jackson should see less double teams in pass rushing situations. If Yannick Ngakoue and Dante Fowler Jr. both improve the Jaguars could finally have a consistent pass rush that has been missing for years.
From the locker room:
Malik Jackson on how long it will take for all of the new acquisitions to gel:
“It shouldn’t take long once everybody gets the defense, but it’s guys just understanding techniques, forgetting what they did in the past and coming here and just embracing what we do now. When I was in Denver, guys came in the team and I think we started at a pretty high level. I think we can do that here too with the type of guys we have.”