The Jacksonville Jaguars look to make even more improvement on their exciting season from a year ago. The offense looks ready to be elite, but what about the defense? They have spent first-round picks on edge rushers but have not been able to keep a consistent pass rush. Travon Walker should improve but how many sacks can they expect from him? In the first preseason game, it was Yasir Abdullah who showed promise. He could be the key to bolstering the defensive rotation and adding some much-needed pressure.
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Yasir Abdullah is a Name to Watch for Jaguars Fans
The Depth Chart
The Jaguars lost Arden Key in free agency to the Tennessee Titans. This may not seem huge like a huge loss, but he was second on the team in quarterback hits and third in sacks.
Josh Allen is a solid player and is in his last year for the team. However, Allen has not reached double-digit sacks since his rookie season in 2019.
Meanwhile, Dawaune Smoot is coming off an injury and K’Lavon Chaisson has been a vast disappointment so far in his career. The team is relying on Travon Walker to make a huge jump in his second year, and it remains to be seen whether this is likely or not.
Yasir Abdullah to the Rescue?
Abdullah was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Given his draft position, many did not think he would be the answer to the pass-rushing problems.
The former Louisville Cardinal may not be the sack leader, but he could very well plug in to make up for Key’s departure. Abdullah improved each year in college and had his best year in 2022 with 11 sacks, 15 hits, and 33 hurries.
According to PFF, Abdullah had a pass rushing grade of 90.8 in college. In coverage, Abdullah only allowed a quarterback rating of 46.8. In comparison in the NFL, Haason Reddick, Nick Bosa, and Jaelan Phillips all found similar success rushing the passer. The highest on the Jaguars was Josh Allen with a 79.8 pass rushing rating.
Does this mean Abdullah is going to pass Allen or Walker in snaps? Probably not. However, Abdullah’s first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys showed that he could make an impact. The Jaguars rookie finished the game with three tackles and a sack.
This was just one game, but his ability to play outside and come off the edge gives more flexibility for the rest of the team in what they want to call.
Key and Smoot combined to play almost 1,000 snaps in 2022, so the ability of Abdullah to make up some of those snaps is huge for Jacksonville’s defense. The defense was 24th last season in coverage, according to PFF, and they did little to address the cornerback position.
As such, the Jaguars will have to rely on pressure to help the back end of the defense. If Walker can take the next step in his development and Abdullah can offer value as a rotational piece, the Jaguars defense will have a nice trio of pass rushers.
A lot of teams are going to regret letting Yasir Abdullah fall to the fifth round in the draft
— Dalton Pence (@dpence_) August 12, 2023
Main Photo: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
