'Playing with purpose': Jaguars rookie OLB De'Shaan Dixon talks path to 53-man roster

One percent better every day.

That's the mantra of Jacksonville Jaguars rookie undrafted outside linebacker De'Shaan Dixon, who became one of two rookies to survive the team's initial cut down to 53 players on its roster.

On Wednesday, he became the only undrafted rookie on the team's 53-man roster. For context, in its history, the Jaguars have had 51 undrafted rookies total making the team's initial 53-man roster. That includes players that were quickly waived - sometimes - a day later.

That's the nature of the business, and sometimes — especially as an undrafted player — you're looking over your shoulder, so to speak, to see if your spot wasn't taken by someone that became available recently, or to make room for another player that might have a bit more potential.

Your opportunities can be limited, there are players in front of you that are already on the team — both rookies and veterans.

More from the Jaguars:

• Waiver wire: Jaguars cut and claim five players, announce several additions to practice squad

• Another new kicker: Jaguars continue moves to find a kicker: next up is Riley Patterson, claimed from Detroit

• Tim Jones: Sensational preseason to pushes Jaguars wide receiver into the mix

Entering his fourth season, Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard still remembers just how tough it can be for an undrafted player to enter the league and make a roster as he did in 2019.

"It's a really fulfilling journey," Wingard told the Florida Times-Union on Tuesday after practice. "You really become your true self when you work through adversity. And you know the saying, it tastes better when it comes out the mud, it really does.

"You really got to work for it, and it kind of sets you as a baseline for work to move forward ... when you see the work it takes, and you feel what it's like to have your back against the wall and make it, you just want to make it that much more."

For Dixon, though, he's just soaking it all in, understanding that he has to continue to improve and continue to take to the teachings that he's gotten from his coaches and players.

"I'm just glad to be here, I'm just taking it one day at a time, just get one percent better every day," Dixon said in the locker room Tuesday when asked how it feels to be part of the initial 53.

Dixon, 6-foot-4, 247 pounds, was one of the first players the Jaguars signed following this year's draft. Hailing from Norfolk State, he netted a career-high nine sacks during his senior season in 2021 to go along with 54 total tackles and one forced fumble.

He totaled 154 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in four years at the HBCU.

"It feels really great," he said of being on the team. "[I'm] grateful to be here and they gave me the opportunity and I went 100 percent every day. Drafted or undrafted, it just feels good to be on the team still."

Preseason success pays off

The climb from being an undrafted player battling to make the team and actually making it can come with plenty of twists and turns. For Dixon, he entered the league at an inherent disadvantage, being from a small school and, admittedly, he says, "a bit raw."

Still, he never let that deter him from getting accomplishing his goals and feels he's already grown plenty since playing his last down in college, stating that he's turned a full "180" degrees from his collegiate days.

"Just [from] being a raw prospect, still raw, but ... the learning I've gotten from here, from other places when I was training and stuff, it's been a huge help to get to where I'm at."

Throughout the preseason, Dixon has already shown the ability he has as a pass rusher for Jacksonville.

He tallied two sacks over three games while leading the team in pressures with 10. The next highest was a tie between third-year player K'Lavon Chaisson and veteran defensive lineman Arden Key with five, according to Pro Football Focus.

He was the team's leader in pass-rush grade on true pass sets with a grade of 89.1. Dixon graded out with the fifth-best pass-rush score from a true pass set among all players with at least 30 snaps during the preseason. Dixon played 33 pass snaps during the three exhibition games.

"I took the opportunities I did have, I took full advantage of them. I made the most of it," he said.

Jacksonville understood the type of player they were potentially getting in Dixon during Organized Team Activities in June.

“He’s done a nice job over the past few weeks (in May and June) of balancing out, understanding his role and understanding that he’s going to have to take those mental reps and when he does get on the field he plays all the way through the whistle," Shuey told Juston Lewis of the Florida Times-Union in June.

"His pursuit angles and everything has been really good with him.

"He’s picking things up pretty fast. I don’t sense that he’s feeling a lot of pressure but what he feels is urgency. And I think that’s a good thing for him," Shuey explained.

The pressure didn't appear to get to Dixon then, either, and it appears that now he's ready to take full advantage of the opportunity he has in front of him.

"[It] feels great to be here and the whole week is just like ... like I said, just one percent better every day and it's paying off."

Learning from teammates, sponge-like mentality

There's perhaps no one better on the team to learn from than outside linebacker Josh Allen when it comes to rushing the passer. Since being drafted seventh overall in 2019, Allen has accounted for 20.5 sacks, including 10.5 during his rookie season and 7.5 sacks this past season.

During his collegiate years, Dixon looked up to Allen, watching him while Allen was at Kentucky and when he made it to the pros with the Jaguars. Now, he has the opportunity to learn from him as he continues his journey in the pros.

"When I first got here ... I wasn't like fanboying or anything but, seeing him, being in the same position as well, [I] just learned a lot from him," said Dixon. "It's been great, though. I like Josh. You know, he's still in the learning process, he's still young, but I know he's got it."

Allen understands what it's like to go through the process as a rookie. Though he doesn't think of himself as a vocal leader or one to lead the charge, he does offer help to his fellow teammates whenever they need it.

That includes Dixon, who is locker mates with the veteran pass rusher. Though Dixon is a bit quiet, Allen knows that when Dixon isn't talking, "he's locked in on what he needs to do," Allen told the Florida Times-Union on Wednesday after practice.

"He attacks me with a purpose every day ... he has to work harder than the majority of everybody in here and he knows that and he's put his hard-hat on from the first time I've seen him to now, the improvement the growth, has been there and he's going to continue to grow and he's gonna continue to help his team."

Dixon continues to do just that, understanding that as part of the undrafted, he's got to fight a little harder.

"I've been playing with relentless effort, playing with a purpose ... it's definitely been an experience," he said.

"I'm learning from these guys, taking all the learning, just being a sponge here. Just taking it every day, just one step at a time."

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 undrafted rookie OLB De'Shaan Dixon makes 53-man roster