Do Jaguars Have Best Pass-Rush in AFC South?

Having a good pass-rushing unit on your defense is critical to a team's success, as the edge rusher position is one of the most valuable in the sport. Without a quality pass rush, it is hard for teams to have consistent success on this side of the ball.

Thankfully, the Jacksonville Jaguars are a franchise that doesn't have to deal with this concern. Their starting edge rushers are Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, two franchise cornerstones that are among the top players on the roster heading into the 2025 season.

While Hines-Allen and Walker didn't have the best of seasons last year in the Jaguars' second-worst defense in yards per game allowed, their respective stat lines would've been good years for most players at their position.

This is the one position Jacksonville does not have to stress over anytime soon, especially as Walker continues to progress as a player while getting his fifth-year club option picked up.

Furthermore, the Jaguars just recently signed defensive end Dawuane Smoot- returning to the team after spending his lone season with the Buffalo Bills- and veteran Emmanuel Ogbah to form a well-built room of pass rushers. Depth is no longer a concern heading into 2025 but it may need to be addressed once more next offseason.

I decided to look at the rest of the AFC South and asked myself, "do the Jaguars have the best pass rush unit in the division?"

Starting with the Indianapolis Colts, they offer a sufficient group. 2024 first-round pick Laiatu Latu is set to emerge as a stout player for their defense as 2025 second-round J.T. Tuimoloau is expected to play a sizeable role early on as a rotational defensive end. Veterans Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam round out the two-deep rotation, giving Lou Anarumo a mixture of youth and experience.

The Tennessee Titans likely have the weakest pass-rush unit in the division, with the likelihood of starting raw second-round pick Olu Oladejo. Arden Key and Lorenzo Carter provide key veteran experience at outside rush linebacker with Ali Gaye and Jaylen Harrell as depth behind them. This is a group that does not inspire much confidence and explains why Abdul Carter was considered the potential No. 1 pick early in the pre-draft process.

When I observed the Houston Texans pass-rush unit, it was hard not to be impressed with the group they have assembled. Cornerstone Will Anderson is already one of the best edge rushers in football with Danielle Hunter as a good No. 2 to help anchor the defensive front for Houston. Veteran Denico Autry, pass-rush specialist Darrell Taylor, and Derek Barnett offer outstanding depth on the edges, giving the Texans a healthy and reliable unit overall.

The Jaguars may have the best pure pass-rush starters in the division but it is hard to be the depth and overall talent of the Texans room.

Anderson should be considered a defensive player of the year candidate, providing a key piece to the team's pursuit of a third consecutive division title. Hunter, Autry, Taylor and Barnett already offer incredible depth across the board and should give Houston a clear direction for possible NASCAR packages.

This is not to say Jacksonville does not have a good pass rush unit and it is quite the opposite because of Walker and Hines-Allen. By season's end, that could change for the better but for now, the Texans have a unit that will be difficult to game plan against this year.

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