The Jacksonville Jaguars are being one of the most active teams in this NFL offseason. The reason is clear, they brought a new coach to save Trevor Lawrence and with that, a new regime is in place. To save the quarterback, first you have to give him a chance to win football games. That’s why the team just signed a defensive tackle that is a Super Bowl champion. This particular name played with Patrick Mahomes.
Khalen Saunders is entering his seventh year in the NFL and will play on Trevor Lawrence’s team. He played from 2019 to 2022 for the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs, where he lived under constant success. The third-round pick then played for the New Orleans Saints, which is a completely different scenario, where he got to see what a non-contender team feels like.
Now, he will be tasked to enforce his strength on a rebuilding team that has plenty of hype around him. The Jaguars sent offensive lineman Luke Fortner to the Saints to acquire Saunders’ services.
Does Saunders fit on the Jaguars?
The Jaguars had plenty of question marks on this specific position, so Saunders‘ addition is more than welcomed. They also have Maason Smith and Arik Armstead, but neither has practiced with the team in training camp. Saunders will provide needed depth and versatility as he could also play nose tackle as a backup for DaVon Hamilton.
Khalen Saunders #50 of the New Orleans Saints looks on during the game against the Cleveland Browns at Caesars Superdome on November 17, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Saunders is very good at run-stuffing duties. Considering this team was ranked 25th against the run last season, the coaching staff will see Saunders’ repertoire as a positive thing.
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The defensive scheme is perfect for Saunders
Jacksonville is expected to play a 4-3 base under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. This is the same base Saunders shone at with the Saints. However, it was when New Orleans appointed Brandon Staley as DC that Saunders fell out of place. Staley uses a 3-4 scheme which Saunders struggled to play at.
With a 4-3 base, there are two defensive ends, a defensive tackle and a nose tackle in the line of scrimmage. Three linebackers position just behind them. The Jaguars have Foyesade Oluokun, Devin Lloyd and Yasir Abdullah as the starters on those roles. Whether Saunders ends as a starter or not remains to be seen, but his presence alone means the Jags have upgraded massively.
