The Jacksonville Jaguars will face the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in their preseason opener on Saturday. Which players should we be watching as the game unfolds?
During this time of the year, the focus shifts from taking a look at how the two teams stack up against one another, and instead, all eyes are on individual players and position groups with playing time and roster decisions looming.
So with that in mind, after taking a look at what to watch on offense for the Jaguars, here is one player at each position group to watch on defense.
Defensive line: Jordan Jefferson and Tyler Lacy
The defensive tackle position is one where four or five players can see steady playing time on a weekly basis. When healthy, we know that Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, and Maason Smith will command three of those spots in the rotation. But who can earn the fourth and how consistent can that player be?
“I thought those guys were working hard, running to the ball, and the biggest thing that we talk about a lot is not staying blocked, and they’re doing that,” Anthony Campanile said of the defensive tackles. “Whether they’re grinding blocks or playing primary or secondary or getting penetration, they’ve been doing what we’re asking them to do, and we’re going to keep asking them to do that with a great level of consistency.”
Linebacker: Jack Kiser
As training camp has picked up, Kiser seems to be making more and more plays as the practices unfold. In fact, he appears to be pushing Chad Muma for one of the backup roles. On the Jaguars’ unofficial depth chart, one of the LB2 spots was listed as Muma or Kiser.
Kiser comes to the NFL with ample special teams experience from his time at Notre Dame, and Muma has been a core special teams contributor during his own NFL career. Being able to impact the third phase of the game will be crucial for both players.
This has become a very crowded linebacker room with Ventrell Miller, Dennis Gardeck, Jalen McLeod, and Yasir Abduallah also a part of the equation.
Cornerback: Travis Hunter
Liam Coen confirmed on Thursday that Travis Hunter would be playing both ways in this game. So, of course, all eyes will be on Hunter and how he performs.
At cornerback, Hunter has looked very natural with those ball skills that show up on offense, standing out on defense as well. ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano noted recently that the Jaguars want to “make sure” that Hunter is on the field defensively during obvious passing situations where he can attack the ball.
Safety: Andrew Wingard, Darnell Savage, Antonio Johnson
The starting spot next to Eric Murray is up for grabs. Competing for those snaps are Andrew Wingard, Darnell Savage, and Antonio Johnson.
On the unofficial depth chart, Wingard was listed as the starter, but an ‘or’ followed his name with Savage and Johnson behind him. When it comes to determining who will earn this role, the ability to move around and handle a variety of roles is a key element of playing safety in Campanile’s defense.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 5 Jaguars players to watch on defense vs. Steelers in preseason game
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
