Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash shot down talk about the team shifting their base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 when he spoke to reporters late last week, but the defense is going to look different in Jacksonville one way or another.
They used three of their first four draft picks on defensive players and signed multiple free agents for the front seven while trading Calais Campbell and waiting to see if Yannick Ngakoue will sign his franchise tag. Cornerback C.J. Henderson and edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson were the first two draft picks and Wash said both of them are expected to be in leading roles right off the bat.
“Well, I think, you know, we want both of them to be plugged in the first game and playing a majority of the reps,” Wash said, via SI.com. “We know that they have the physical skills to play at this level, obviously, you know, both of them being drafted in the first round. But we anticipate both of them to be solid impact players for us, you know, Week One. Once again, we’re going to figure a lot more about that once we get on grass in training camp, but both of them physically have the abilities to be impact players early in their career.”
Wash expects a “slower install” in training camp because of all the new faces, but they’ll need to catch on quickly if the unit is going to help the Jags avoid a third-straight losing season.