The Jacksonville Jaguars' defense last season had a ton of woes. Ranking as the second to worst team in the National Football League in terms of net defensive yards allowed per game, the Jaguars will need to vastly improve that area if they want to reach the top of the AFC South once again.
The 2025 NFL Draft was a good start for the franchise under the new regime, landing several talented young players with moldable traits, all being headlined by Travis Hunter. While Hunter does add to both the offense and defense, he is likely to be used as a wide receiver, giving the Jaguars a chance to boost the defense.
One way that the franchise could do just that is through pro free agency. While the draft is nice and all, not every player is able to transition smoothly over from the collegiate level to the pros. That being said, there are players still available in the market that Jacksonville could bring into the scheme.
One of those players comes in the form of former Jaguars defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi. Fatukasi spent this past season with the Jaguars' division rivals, the Houston Texans, putting together a similar performance that Jaguars fans were used to during his tenure.
With new leadership and high aspirations, the Jaguars could reunite with Fatukasi to give the defensive tackle position some extra security. According to Pro Football Network's Sterling Xie, Fatukasi could be an addition the franchise acquires.
"One solution could be bringing back old friend Folorunso Fatukasi. A one-trick pony, Fatukasi is a 0- or 1-technique who won’t bring passing down value. However, his teams have largely excelled in run defense wherever he goes, giving him a defined role that has allowed him to survive despite only 5.5 sacks in seven seasons," Xie wrote.
"When Fatukasi was on the Jaguars from 2022-23, Jacksonville ranked eighth in both yards per carry allowed and run stuff rate (percentage of runs for zero or negative yards). They dipped to 15th in both categories in 2024. Bringing Fatukasi back could rectify that regression, and he wouldn’t block any potential development from second-year pro Maason Smith on passing downs."
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