Oct 12, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (90) tackles Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) during the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Travis Register-Imagn Images

How Jaguars' Defense Mirrored Seahawks' This Past Season

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Feb 12, 2026 7:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the Buffalo Bills. Clearly, that's not great news, but it allowed them to get a head start on their offseason in preparation to make a deeper run next year. Jacksonville used that time to lock down its top coordinators in Anthony Campanile and Grant Udinski for at least the 2026 season and flesh out the rest of its staff.

Now, the Jaguars can focus on rounding out their roster through the draft and free agency. Meanwhile, they were able to watch the rest of the playoffs closely to see what worked and what didn't. The model of success this year was the Seattle Seahawks, who dominated their way to a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Thankfully, the Jags might not be too far off from Seattle's blueprint.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars' defense just a few steps away

The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Seattle Seahawks had quite a few similarities this past season. Both made the jump into the playoffs after missing out last year. Both were led by highly-touted quarterback prospects who were unproven in the NFL and made leaps in 2025. Both featured wunderkind head coaches calling plays from the sideline.

The Jaguars and the Seahawks overcame suboptimal offensive lines through scheming. They both fielded strong attacks despite featuring questionable weapons. Both pounded the rock religiously despite not having the most efficient ground games. They were pretty similar on the other side of the ball. Here's how The Ringer Fantasy Football Show described Seattle's defensive excellence that led them to a Super Bowl victory:

BEWARE THE DARK SIDE

The Seahawks defense DOMINATED in the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/zOOmgqf7Lm
— PFF (@PFF) February 9, 2026

"Growing up, we talked about defenses having a front seven. They don't have a front seven. Seattle has a front six. They have four defensive linemen and two linebackers in the front six... They take the seventh guy, and they put him toward the pass... instead of having four defenders committed to the passing game, they have five. So you're like, 'Oh, if there's only six guys guarding the run instead of seven, you think the run defense is bad?' Nope — best run defense in the NFL."

"They built it that way so that the front six guys are like the best and most ass-kicking six guys ever... Everyone in the secondary can tackle. Like, that's it." Seattle was the No. 1 run defense in yards per carry this season, despite leading the league in sub-package rate at 92 percent, per Sharp Football Analysis.

Jacksonville was tied for second in yards per attempt while coming in at ninth in sub-package rate at 74 percent. They featured elite run-stoppers in their "front six," such as Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and Foyesade Oluokun. The Jaguars have to upgrade their secondary and either re-sign Devin Lloyd or replace him, but they're encouragingly close to matching the Seahawks' formula.

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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