The Jacksonville Jaguars were named a fit for free agent Jadeveon Clowney, who remains one of the best available pass rushers following the 2026 NFL draft.
With the dust having settled on the NFL draft, Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports highlighted the biggest position of need for all 32 teams and then noted a free agent to fill that need as well.
When it came to the Jaguars, Pereles believes that Jacksonville must still address their pass rush, and suggested that Clowney would be a good fit for that.
“The Jaguars have had a difficult offseason, losing Devin Lloyd and Trevis Etienne Jr. in free agency and having a baffling draft thereafter,” Pereles wrote. “Offensive line could use an upgrade or two, even after the Emmanuel Pregnon selection, but Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker desperately need some help. Clowney continues to be productive against the run and the pass.”
Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler, has remained productive throughout his NFL career. Over the last two seasons, he’s totaled 40-plus quarterback pressures with 14 total sacks. He’s also not that far removed from a big 2023 season, when he recorded a career-high 78 pressures with Baltimore.
Bolstering the pass rush has been on the offseason to-do list for the Jaguars. Last season, Jacksonville ranked 18th in pressure rate and 27th in sacks.
In the draft, the Jaguars added Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee to the mix. They will compete with BJ Green and Danny Striggow for the rotational snaps behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
That said, those four players have little to no experience at the NFL level. So while there is competition for playing time, whether or not that turns to production remains to be seen. This is why adding a veteran presence, like Clowney, to the mix does make some sense.
On the flip side, rostering Clowney likely means parting with one of the team’s young pass rushers during roster cutdowns. Rostering seven defensive ends isn’t feasible. So another question is, are the Jaguars willing to do that for a veteran on what is likely a one-year deal?
The Jaguars do not have an abundance of salary cap space, but no signing at this stage of the offseason should break the bank either.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 3-time Pro Bowl pass rusher named free agent fit for Jaguars after draft
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
