The old-school mindset of winning in the trenches proved to be a successful approach for the Jaguars last season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Jaguars' pass rush finished second in the league with an impressive 55 sacks, just one season after producing a lowly 33-sack total in 2016.
With the additions of Calais Campbell and Marcell Dareus, the Jaguars dominated opposing offensive lines well into their run to the AFC Championship Game. Due to that success, Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranks the Jaguars as the second-best pass-rushing unit in the league heading into this year's campaign. Only the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles rank higher in the service's pass-rushing preview.
Jaguars Training Camp Position Preview Gallery: Defensive end
The service ranked the pass rushing units by evaluating all 32 teams' four main starters and at least one key rotational player. The Jaguars group featured Campbell, Dareus, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson and Dante Fowler.
PFF notes the Jaguars had a 39.1 pressure percentage as a team last season, which ranked third in the league behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and the aforementioned Eagles. Jacksonville will play both teams during this upcoming season.
The second place ranking seems fair for the Jaguars. While Jacksonville may have a more formidable starting defensive front than Philadelphia, the Eagles' depth unit features plenty of big names like Chris Long, Derek Barnett and Haloti Ngata.
Last season, Campbell led the AFC in sacks, while Ngakoue topped the entire league in sack-fumbles. Dareus, after being acquired in October, flashed as a pass rusher, while Jackson and Fowler each produced eight regular-season sacks.
While that five-man group is impressive, the Jaguars also have some notable names on the bench. The Jaguars' defensive line depth doesn't have the name recognition of the Eagles' group but the trio of Abry Jones, Taven Bryan and Dawuane Smoot has plenty of pass-rushing upside as well. The starters will be the tone-setters, but the depth unit could make over-or-break the unit's success.
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter: @Mike_E_Kaye.