What Kind of Role Can Dennis Gardeck Play With Jaguars?

The Jacksonville Jaguars added more depth to their front seven earlier this week, adding productive veteran pass-rusher Dennis Gardeck.

The addition of the former Arizona Cardinals pass-rusher gives the Jaguars some much-needed depth along their edge defender depth chart, and it is not hard to see a scenario where Gardeck plays a key role for the Jaguars once he recovers from his ACL injury.

With that said, there are still questions to ask about Gardeck's skill-set, what kind of role he could play in Liam Coen's and Anthony Campanile's defense, and what kind of impact the Jaguars are getting off the field and in the locker room by signing to former captain.

To find the answers to all of our questions about Gardeck and his fit with the Jaguars moving forward, we asked Arizona Cardinals On SI beat reporter Donnie Druin to break down his game.

After years of covering Gardeck in Arizona and seeing the impact he made for the Cardinals on and off the field, Druin fielded our questions to give us an inside look at Gardeck's game.

So, what did Druin have to say?

1) What role did Gardeck play in Arizona's defense?

Druin: "Gardeck was mostly a rotational outside linebacker during his stint in Arizona, though he did start 11 games in his final two years. He's proven to be fairly productive when given opportunities (7 sacks on 94 snaps in 2020 and 6 sacks in 2023) though not quite dominant enough to be an every down OLB."

2) How would you describe his strengths as a player?

Druin: "His strengths undoubtedly rest within his motor. Gardeck's effort is second to none and that's how he's gotten to the quarterback more times than not. Also, for what it's worth, he's an incredible special teams player. "

3) What kind of veteran is he to have in the locker room?

Druin: "Gardeck is going to be a great addition to the locker room, and quite honestly the fan base will love him. He was highly thought of in Arizona and was even a team captain for the Cardinals. He leads by example, is a no-nonsense guy who will be great for resetting the culture in Jacksonville."

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