Jacksonville Jaguars: What is Dante Fowler Jr. bringing?

What does edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. bring to the Jacksonville Jaguars? With so much young talent, he could find a way to really shine…

The Jacksonville Jaguars are the subject line of everyone’s ‘2016 breakout team’ list but what’s the substance there?

It’s a combination of the development of Blake Bortles and the offensive weaponry combined with a lot of really good young talent on the defensive side of the football, particularly along the front seven.

The Jaguars signed Malik Jackson to a monster deal in free agency while also adding Myles Jack in the second round of the draft, even though he was probably the top defensive player in this year’s class.

Along with the other additions made defensively, perhaps none is more important than the return of 2015 first round pick Dante Fowler Jr., who is coming off of major knee surgery.

Fowler was the third overall pick in last year’s draft, and for good reason. Among pass rushers in the class of 2015, he was one of the quickest and most explosive finishers of the group. Over the course of the 2015 season, we saw just how critical that aspect of the game can be.

As he makes his return to the field for training camp after offseason activities, it’s clear that Fowler has remained focused over the course of the offseason and looks like he’s in great shape. He was wearing a big, protective knee brace as well…

It’s unfair to expect the Jaguars are getting a premiere, elite edge rusher right from the first snap of his career, but Fowler’s impact will be felt early on. He’s powerful and quick, and uses a variety of moves to get pressure on the quarterback.

With such a strong veteran like Malik Jackson entering the fold and occupying blockers, Fowler could be in line for a lot of one-on-one situations and great matchups.