JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — What defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and the Jaguars’ defense did in 2025 was nothing short of remarkable. In just one offseason, the Duval defense went from the 30th-ranked unit (389.9 YPG) to the 11th (303.6 YPG), with a historical boost in takeaways. In fact, no team in NFL history has posted 30+ takeaways after 10 or fewer the previous season.
What’s even more impressive is just how well the defense performed without one of its better players. Travon Walker technically played in 14 games, but finished the season with a snap rate of just 47%. From Weeks 4-13, Walker posted just two games above a 50% snap rate.
A wrist injury suffered in Week 4 and a knee injury suffered in Week 11 were to blame, ruining a fantastic start to the season for Walker, who tallied 2.5 sacks through the team’s first three games.
After the initial injury, his average “get-off speed,” the time it takes for a defensive lineman to cross the line of scrimmage, dropped from 0.84s to 0.92s. That 0.84s “get-off” sat right at his career average before the dip.
Even so, the Jaguars’ defense was so much better when he was on the field rather than off of it.
Per Sumersports, when Walker was on the field, the Jaguars posted a 41.7% pressure rate and sack rate of 5.4%. Conversely, when he was off, those figures fell to 30.7% and 3.69%, respectively. The 18 sacks with, compared to just 13 sacks without, are equally significant.
His impact or absence was felt more than just in the pass-rushing department. The Jaguars allowed just 4.61 yards per play with Walker and 5.33 without. Among 241 qualifying defensive linemen, Walker ranked ninth best when looking at the difference in defensive EPA when on the field vs off.
With his limited availability and injury to Arik Armstead as well, the Jaguars’ pass-rush was almost exclusively left in the hands of Josh Hines-Allen. Now, both Walker and Armstead enter the 2026 season healthy and ready to go. The Jags’ D ranked among the NFL’s best last season, despite a lackluster pass rush.
A healthy Walker could be what takes an already strong unit over the top. In 2023 and 2024, Walker posted back-to-back double-digit sack seasons. Another 10-sack season would move him all the way up to third on the franchise sack leaderboard, tied with Yannick Ngakoue at 37.5.
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