CANTON, OH – The Jaguars invested heavily this off-season upgrading their linebacker unit.
The first big acquisition was signing Foye Oluokun to $28 million in guaranteed money at the beginning of free agency. The second giant addition occurred via the draft when Utah’s Devin Lloyd was selected with the 27th overall pick.
Jacksonville still had the hunger to bolster the linebacking corps.
When the 70th pick arrived, Jacksonville added Wyoming’s Chad Muma in the third round. Known for his production and instinctive abilities to make plays, Muma’s addition seems like icing on top of the cake.
The Jaguars played in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and Oluokun did not play and Lloyd did not dress as he nurses a hamstring issue.
Muma was ready and able to get his first live action in the NFL.
The rookie linebacker had more than just Jaguars decals on his helmet. A green dot also was placed in his helmet so he would be relaying play-calls to the defense in the first preseason game of his NFL career.
“That is a new change,” Muma said. “Trying to get that game speed. Seeing what the green dot is really like. Getting those plays out is something new and different, but something I like to embrace.
“We have been doing it through OTAs and training camp. So, I’ve gotten comfortable with it a little bit more. So, tonight hearing it. Especially it being a little loud early you must cover up to make sure you hear it to get the call out.”
Known for his fast and instinctive abilities at linebacker, Muma quickly showed those traits early in the game against Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs took the handoff to his left, with the intention to turn the corner and get up field. In unison, Muma zeroed in on the veteran back anticipating the collision and prevented Jacobs from reaching the edge. The rookie lowered the boom and knocked Jacobs out of bounds for a three-yard gain.
“It was nice to go out there and hit someone,” Muma said of getting that first hit in under his belt. “Getting those first-play jitters out of the way kind of just getting to go do my thing. It felt good.
“Obviously, there were mistakes that showed up. A quick turnaround from training camp to coming here. It was nice to get the first one out of the way and kind of get rolling from now on.”
Pursuit of the ball-carrier helped Muma evolve into one of the most productive linebackers in college football last season. Leading the nation with 142 tackles in just 12 games, along with 19 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, Muma has the natural tendencies to thrive in the NFL.
He dropped in coverage a few times and was able to get to the ball quickly after the ball was thrown to different areas of the field. A former high-school defensive back, Muma possesses the skills to become a three-down linebacker, validated by his three interceptions for Wyoming in 2021.
His speed is evident and once Muma harnesses that speed and limits overrun plays and missed tackles, he’ll become a very productive fixture for Jacksonville’s defense.
Finishing the night with four tackles (two solo) in just two quarters of action, Muma appears to have picked up right where he left off when he earned first-team all-conference honors in the Mountain West.
Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Oluokun and Lloyd make-up the starting linebacker unit in Jacksonville’s 3-4 defense. Jaguars’ defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell will be creative in trying to add Muma into the mix if his trajectory continues to point upward.
There is a lot to like about Jacksonville’s young unit.
If the potential meets reality, the Jaguars could be something special defensively.
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