What kind of defense will the Jacksonville Jaguars have under new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile?
It’ll be multiple.
Today’s NFL is primarily a nickel league, with defenses frequently playing with five defensive backs on the field. So the conversation around whether it is a 4-3 scheme or a 3-4 scheme doesn’t carry the same weight that it once did.
Muddying things even further in that regard is that Campanile’s defense will be a combination of the two. “(It’s) a 4-3 with some 3-4 spacing,” said Campanile.
Dictating the Jaguars’ defensive gameplan will be the personnel that they have on the roster and who the opponent is. The goal is to put the best players on the field and to keep the offense guessing by disguising looks and having versatile defenders who can fill a variety of roles.
“We want to put the best guys we have out there,” Campanile said. “There will be front variation. There will be coverage variation. We’re going to test the protection on third down. There will be a lot of multiplicity to what we do in terms of simulators, pressure. That’s what I can tell you.”
Campanile comes to Jacksonville with a wide-ranging coaching background having operated in several very different defensive systems.
In Green Bay, he was with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who used a heavy-dose of simulated pressures and had a very adaptable defensive scheme.
In Miami, Campanile coached under Vic Fangio and his Cover-2 shell defense that disguises looks with the best of them. Campanile also spent time in Brian Flores’ uber-aggressive, blitz-heavy scheme as well.
All three defenses are quite different, but all three have been very effective. This past season, Philadelphia (Fangio), Minnesota (Flores), and Green Bay (Hafley) all ranked sixth or better in scoring defense.
“Structurally, you can get to any of those things and it really has more to do with people that are on the field,” Campanile added. “If you look at a lot of the systems I’ve been in, you could say, ‘That’s a 3-4,’ and we’re in four-down linemen half the time.
“We’re going to be a run-and-hit defense. One thing you’re going to see is guys playing with a passion to not stay blocked.”
The on-field results weren’t there for the Jaguars’ defense in 2024, ranking 27th in points per game allowed, and the secondary, in particular, does have to be addressed.
However, head coach Liam Coen does feel “really good” about the defensive roster, and Campanile’s versatile and players-first scheme can help maximize those abilities.
