Jaguars Will Have to Work Hard to Disrupt 2025 Opponents

The art of pressure and penetration of an opponent's backfield is imperative for defenses to perform at maximum capacity in the National Football League. In 2025, the Jacksonville Jaguars' Front Seven will need to do just that, as they face teams with top-notch offensive lines in more than half of their games.

This season, Head Coach Liam Coen's team will do battle in 10 contests with eight of the top half of offensive trench units in PFF's 2025 NFL offensive line rankings. What guardians on the schedule this year propose the most impenetrable of walls?

The best of the bunch is the No. 2 unit belonging to the Denver Broncos. The Jaguars have a disadvantage against this stout group, as a Week 16 December in Denver is breathtaking and not in a good way.

"All five of Denver's starting offensive linemen in 2024, each of whom logged more than 800 snaps, return for 2025. The Broncos' offensive line led the NFL with a 90.8 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating last season, allowing only 110 pressures on 677 snaps. Right guard Quinn Meinerz has emerged as one of the best players at the position," wrote PFF.

Indianapolis checks in at No. 5, and of course, the Jaguars will play the Colts twice this season in Weeks 14 and 17.

"The Colts watched center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries depart to the Vikings in free agency, but this unit is still among the best offensive lines in the league. Indianapolis may be home to the top left tackle-left guard pairing in the NFL. Left guard Quenton Nelson’s 81.3 PFF overall grade ranked fourth among all guards last year, and left tackle Bernhard Raimann’s 85.1 mark placed eighth at his position."

At No. 9 and No. 10 are the New York Jets and Los Angeles Chargers in Weeks 15 and 11, respectively.

The Jets boast young, beastly protectors with first-rounders Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou at the tackles, while their interior offensive line ranks as one of the best in football and features guards John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker, both highly ranked. Meanwhile, Zion Johnson, Joe Alt, and Rashawn Slater have been protectors extraordinaire in L.A.

Rounding out the top half of challenging offensive lines that the black and teal will line up against in 2025 are all NFC teams. No. 11 Carolina visits Duval in Week 1, a trip to No.12 San Francisco is on the calendar in Week 4, it's the No.15 Rams in the London fog in Week 6, and a road game in Glendale vs. the No. 16 Cardinals in Week 12.

With a need for penetration to force more third-and-long scenarios, you can bet that Antony Campanile and company will design a plan to get their soldiers on the edge, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, a time share in opponents' backfields, if there is any hope of moving the needle of success in 2025.

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