Jaguars offense looks to control line of scrimmage, faces tough challenge vs. Commanders

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Week 1 of the regular season with a reworked offensive line. They'll also face off against one of the toughest defensive lines in the league in the Washington Commanders.

Though Washington will not have its best pass rusher, Chase Young, on the field as he continues to battle back from a torn ACL suffered last year, the Commanders still boast one of the more physically-imposing defensive lines in the league, led by interior lineman Jonathan Allen.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson knows the type of player Young is, having coached against him in 2020, but he understands Washington will still showcase a challenging front for the team's offensive line this Sunday.

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• Jaguars Week 1 prep: Running back James Robinson 'should' play Sunday; team captains named

• Back on the bike: Doug Pederson discusses being on the sidelines after year-long hiatus

"Washington has spent a lot of resources in that defensive line over the years and these are really good players," Pederson said Wednesday when asked about the Washington defensive line without Young.

From 2017-2020, the Commanders invested four first-round picks in its defensive line, including Allen (2017), Daron Payne (2018), Montez Sweat (2019) and Young (2020).

"It really doesn't matter who they plug in. There are some game wreckers there," Pederson said. "A guy like [Jaguars rookie center] Luke Fortner, [his] first time in there with these two big guys, physical guys, will be fun to watch, watch that the entire game. But, they give you a bunch of different looks, multiple looks and things we have to be prepared for."

Sunday will be the franchise's first opportunity to showcase the work it put in throughout the year, whether it be through free agency, the NFL Draft and throughout training camp.

All three phases of the year for Jacksonville were vital, especially when it came to the team's offensive line. During free agency, the team brought in a big-time player in right guard Brandon Scherff, signing him to a four-year deal worth a reported $30 million in guaranteed money.

Prior to free agency in March, the Jaguars placed the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson and subsequently inked an extension with the sixth-year tackle, signing him to a three-year deal and solidifying Robinson as the blind-side protector for the face of the franchise, quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Jacksonville also went to the draft to find one of its Week 1 starters, drafting Fortner out of Kentucky in the third round with the No. 65-overall pick.

Camp battles come to an end

It wouldn't be until training camp when Jacksonville could solidify two other positions on its offensive line, holding battles at right tackle and left guard.

At guard, both third-year veteran Ben Bartch and ninth-year veteran Tyler Shatley have faced off, while fourth-year player Jawaan Taylor and second-year OL Walker Little battled at right tackle.

Both positions appear to be solidified with the Week 1 depth chart released at the start of the week signaling Bartch and Taylor will open as the team's starters at their respective positions.

On Monday, Pederson was coy about who would ultimately start on the offensive line. On Wednesday, Pederson confirmed that the Week 1 depth chart was "official," meaning both projected starters are actually the team's leaders at their respective positions.

"I thought both guys did an outstanding job," Pederson said. "Walker [Little] did a nice job when he was in there and, of course, Jawaan had been there before and it was really his job to lose, so to speak, but he came back and showed us some great things and deserving of the spot."

For Lawrence, he's seen the work his offensive line has put in, noting Wednesday that he likes their collective mindset, led by Scherff.

"I just think they got the right mindset. I think Scherff coming in has really elevated the whole group," Lawrence said. "It's a lot of the same guys that have been here but bringing in him and just his veteran presence, but also just his work ethic and the way he attacks every day. [He's] always ready to go, never complains, just has that grit, a little bit nasty.

"That's something that those guys see, and have seen it all OTAs [organized team activities] and [training] camp ... to see a guy that's had as much success as he's had on his eighth season, I believe, and still brings that intensity every day, I think it's elevated the whole group."

The stage is set, but now the Jaguars will have to put all their work to the test.

Iron sharpens iron vs. the Commanders

There's no question the Jaguars improved their OL this year. The team enters the 2022 season with experience and promise at key positions. During the preseason, just one offensive lineman, Robinson, was called for a penalty.

The team's new chess piece, Scherff, was graded as the best offensive player on the team, according to Pro Football Focus, accounting for an offensive grade of 86.7, while allowing zero pressures, a pass-blocking grade of 79.3 and a run-blocking grade of 82.6.

Scherff, a team captain this year, spoke highly of this year's line and the job it has to do week in and week out.

“I think we’re physical. I think we’re going to be tough. I think we’ve got a heck of a quarterback behind us. We’re excited to block for him," Scherff said on Wednesday when asked what he's seen out of the OL group.

"Some great running backs, some great receivers, so if we can put it all together, I think we’ll be pretty dangerous."

A couple of the players Jacksonville is going up against this week are Allen, entering his sixth season in the NFL and defensive tackle Daron Payne, entering his fifth year in the league. Both players have proven to be two of the best at their respective positions, particularly Allen, who accounted for nine sacks last year, 26 in his career.

For Scherff, he's faced off against Washington's defensive line plenty during practices with the Commanders throughout his career. On Monday, Scherff acknowledged the strength of the Washington defensive line, adding that Daniel Wise, who joined the Commanders last year, is another player to keep an eye on.

“I practiced against (Wise) every day last year, and he’s a heck of a player, too. Jonathan [Allen] is as good as they come. He’s strong, he’s physical," Scherff said on Monday during his media session. "Daron Payne, I’d say he’s really, really strong, and he’s fast. He’s sneaky fast. He’s an underrated pass rusher."

Payne, 6-foot-3, 320 pounds has 14.5 career sacks, including 4.5 this past season.

"Jon Allen is, like I said, his stats speak for themselves," Scherff said. "Montez Sweat, I have never seen anybody that big run that fast. It’s going to be a heck of a challenge for us, because I know how they practice every day, and they practice really hard.”

Sweat, 6-foot-6, 262 pounds, is entering his fourth season with the Commanders. He played 10 games this past year, collecting five sacks. He's accounted for 21 sacks throughout his career.

Ultimately, the battle between the Jacksonville offensive line and Washington defensive line will be one of the X-factors on Sunday, Pederson said.

"You always go into games trying to control the line of scrimmage," said Pederson. "I think every coach in the league is saying, hey, let's control the line of scrimmage, and [it is] easier said than done, obviously, especially when you go against a front like this."

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars offensive line will face tough task on Sunday against Commanders