Malik Jackson’s value to the Jacksonville Jaguars

Jun 14, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Malik Jackson (90) looks on during minicamp workouts at Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 14, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Malik Jackson (90) looks on during minicamp workouts at Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
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How good can Malik Jackson be for the Jacksonville Jaguars? What does he bring to the table, and how is life different without Von Miller and company?

As the Jacksonville Jaguars continue to progress toward being a contender again in the AFC South, a key addition that will be under the microscope all year long and many years hereafter is that of Malik Jackson, formerly of the Denver Broncos.

A fifth round pick in 2012 out of Tennessee, Jackson came to Denver labeled a ‘tweener’, someone who might not succeed at the next level because of his apparent lack of true position.

By 2014, the Broncos had found creative ways to utilize Jackson’s size, length, quickness, power, and ability to finish. They weren’t getting him on the field at a ‘starter’ rate but Jackson was having a significant impact, most notably against his new team in a game in 2014 when he was absolutely unblockable.

Jackson’s emergence in 2014 paved the way to a starting position in 2015, one that he relished and took advantage of in a contract year. His breakout season in 2014 proved no fluke, and under the tutelage of defensive line coach Bill Kollar, Jackson had a phenomenal season.

The headlines won’t print anything about Jackson’s sack stats, but he gets pressures and makes plays in the backfield with such regularity, his absence in the Broncos’ lineup would have been felt no matter how long it was.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jackson is going to be counted on to be more than just a really good player on a really good defense. He’s getting paid like one of the best defensive players in the NFL, which means the expectations will be incredibly high.

His sack numbers aren’t anything for Jaguars fans to be worried about. It’s all about impacting the play, and Jackson has no problem doing that. It will be interesting to see how he’s used again in a defensive alignment that has been predominantly a four-man front. He was wildly successful in a 3-4 defense, but the Broncos have lined him up over the nose, outside at end, and he even dropped into coverage.

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There’s no question that the personnel around Jackson in Denver was different than it is now in Jacksonville, but his impact will be dependent more on his ability to win one-on-one matchups wherever he’s lined up on the field.

He’s prove over the course of his career that he can do that, and I have no doubt he’s going to be successful with the Jaguars. Now, instead of other players around him making him better, he’s going to have to be the one to make guys around him better.

The Jaguars’ defensive core is young, and their centerpiece is a player that is going to be tasked with bringing some of the NFL’s top ranked defense to one that ranked 31st in points allowed last year.