The Jacksonville Jaguars’ clearest problem through the early part of the season has been right in the middle of the defense: interior pass-rush.
That issue could get a chance to improve on Sunday against the New England Patriots, who will be without starting right guard Mike Onwenu and will turn to veteran backup Greg Van Roten. For the Jaguars, that’s the kind of matchup they need to attack. If they can’t make life harder on the Patriots inside, then the conversation may have to shift from weekly fixes to the trade market.
The reason is simple. Jacksonville has edge rushers, but the push from the interior has not been there. The team’s defensive tackles have combined for just five pressures, according to NextGen Stats, and that number has to climb as the season moves forward.
If the Jaguars do go shopping, there are a few names that make sense.
Bobby Brown would be one of the easier options to pursue. He didn’t have a strong first season with the Panthers, playing just 23.9% of the snaps, though he handled a bigger role in Week 1 this year before missing Week 2 with an injury. Carolina also has other defensive linemen in the mix, including Cam Jackson, Aaron Hall and rookie Lee Hunter, who could all see time next to Derrick Brown.
Brown would not come in as a major pass-rush threat, but he does bring value as a run defender and would give Jacksonville another body capable of winning one-on-one matchups in the ground game. A move for Daron Payne would be harder to pull off because of the contract, especially if the Jaguars do not move on from any players who have yet to produce.
Moro Ojomo is a different kind of target. The fourth-year Eagles defensive tackle broke out in 2025 with six sacks, and he has started this season well as a pass-rusher, posting a career-best 10% pressure rate through the first two weeks. He is in a contract year, which makes him an interesting fit for a team that could look at him as both an in-season boost and a possible compensatory-pick play if he does not stay long term.
Ojomo fits the profile of what Jacksonville needs: quick disruption, reasonable cost and a player the Jaguars have the draft capital to chase. The catch is that Philadelphia may ask for more than expected if it decides to move him.
Karl Brooks is another name worth watching if the Packers continue sliding. Green Bay has stumbled out of the gate, and if that turns into a sell-off, Brooks could become available. He has been the Packers’ most-used defensive tackle and has been one of the few players holding steady.
He is not a headline-grabbing interior rusher, but he would still give the Jaguars more than they are getting now. Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile should know him well from his time with the Packers, and Brooks, like Ojomo, could also fit into the compensatory-pick equation after the season.
In Other News...
Jaguars Face An Early Worry That Could Define Week 3
The Week 3 matchup with New England comes with the kind of early-season hinge that can shape how the Jaguars are viewed moving forward. In a staff roundtable preview, the conversation centered on the players most likely to swing the game, with Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore and Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. drawing particular attention as potential difference-makers in a matchup built around pressure, timing and execution.
For Jacksonville, the concern is less about the broad outline of the opponent and more about how one or two individual battles could tilt the afternoon. Thomas is part of what the Jaguars need to function cleanly on offense, while Barmore represents the sort of disruptive force that can complicate everything for a quarterback and line trying to settle in early. The result is a game preview that feels less like a standard September check-in and more like an early test of how sturdy Jacksonville really is. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Bigger Week 3 Question Than Just Beating Patriots
Week 3 brings the Jaguars a familiar kind of test against the Patriots, but the bigger subplot is how Jacksonville keeps sorting out its own identity on both sides of the ball. Bhayshul Tuten has started to look like more than a change-of-pace option, giving the offense a dynamic rushing element, while Parker Washington has continued to provide steady production in the passing game. Defensively, DaVon Hamilton remains an important presence up front even as he deals with a back issue, and Ventrell Miller has emerged as the teams leading weak side linebacker.
Grant Udinski has already talked about Tutens development, which makes the rookies role one of the more interesting pieces to watch as the Jaguars head into this stretch. The Patriots will be the opponent on the schedule, but Jacksonvilles real question is whether these individual gains start to add up into a more complete week-to-week formula, especially with key contributors like Hamilton and Miller carrying bigger responsibility than they might have expected this early in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Travis Hunter Debate They Still Havent Settled
Travis Hunters early second NFL season has already become one of the more interesting workload stories around the Jaguars, and not just because he can line up at both cornerback and receiver. Through the opening stretch, Jacksonville has kept his snaps limited on offense and defense, a cautious approach for a player whose value comes from impact on both sides of the ball. It has also prompted plenty of outside curiosity, including from his former college coach Deion Sanders, who has openly said he is confused by how the Jaguars are using Hunter.
Liam Coen has acknowledged the conversation, saying the team is considering giving Hunter more reps on both sides, but the Jaguars have not yet settled on a clear long-term answer. Hunter has made his preference plain by saying he wants to play both positions full-time, and that is where the tension sits for Jacksonville: the talent is obvious, the role is still not. Until the Jaguars decide whether to lean into that versatility or continue managing it carefully, Hunter remains one of the teams most watchable unresolved stories. [Read more 🡒]