The Jacksonville Jaguars hold the second overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and realistically could draft any position they want and it wouldn't be a bad pickup. If the Jaguars decide to pass on Geno Smith with the pick, most assume the team will be selecting a defensive lineman with the pick, preferably a pass rusher. One of the players who could in play at the pick is Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan.
As Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network pointed out on Twitter Sunday evening, Jordan is virtually a perfect scheme fit player for the Jaguars defense going forward. Jordan was asked to do a little bit of everything in Oregon's defense when he made the move from tight end, playing down defensive end and rushing the passer as well as playing linebacker, slot corner, and even lining up as a shallow safety at times. For a player his size, Jordan has freakish not only athleticism, but fluidity. Typically guys his size can't really move as smoothly as he does and they're more herky-jerky.
The Jaguars as we know will be working towards building a hybrid front on defense going forward, using both 4-3 and 3-4 principals so the players they'll be picking up going forward will fit that idea. Jordan falls right into that category because of his versatility on the defense.
Jordan can play with his hand on the ground as a defensive end rushing the passer. He has a quick first step and comes off the edge with lots of speed and for an athlete of his size, bends well around the edge looping to the quarterback.
This isn't the only position Jordan can rush the passer from, however.
With Gus Bradley in Seattle, whether it was Bradley or Pete Carroll's idea, the team would often use two LEO's on the field in some formations, bringing the second one off the edge as a stand up linebacker. Jordan also has plenty of experience at Oregon playing that style pass rusher role, as he rushed the passer both standing up and with his hand on the ground.
Not only can Jordan rush the passer from both of those positions, but he also appears to have the ability to play the tradition strong side (SAM) linebacker role, especially in a hybrid front. As you can see in the "4-3 under" picture, the SAM is basically lined up on the line of scrimmage and will be responsible for either rushing the passer from the edge or covering the flat zone in coverage and/or in run support. Jordan shows exceptionally ability to move and change direction in space. He's more adept in coverage than a player of his stature should be and at times would actually play slot coverage on tight ends and wide receivers for the Ducks.
The real beauty of Jordan in a defense like we expect the Jaguars to be running is the fact that he doesn't tip your hand. He can play all three downs and play virtually two positions full time, so moving him around does not limit your play calling at all. When the Seahawks would bring Bruce Irvin in at the SAM linebacker, everyone basically knew it was to blitz off the edge. Jordan can do that, but he can also play coverage and help set the edge in the running game against the tight end, meaning offense still have to keep guessing, because Jordan can be a three-down player.
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• List of NFL free agents: Players still available for the Jaguars to target