Countdown to Kickoff: Profile on Jacksonville Jaguars No. 56 Dante Fowler Jr.
The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a look at Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. who looks to make an impact after missing his entire rookie season.
There are exactly 56 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.
The Countdown to Kickoff series began with a look at No. 99 Joey Bosa and has continued on everyday since (check out all of the posts here).
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There were some extremely interesting choices of impact NFL players who wear number 56. Cliff Avril, Shane Ray, Julius Peppers and Brian Cushing are all more than worthy choices, but I decided to go with a top prospect who looks to make an impact after missing his entire rookie season.
Let’s take a look at Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.
The Jaguars made the talented Fowler a priority by selecting him with the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, just eight days after being drafted, Fowler tore the ACL in his left knee in the Jaguars’ first rookie minicamp.
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The injury forced Fowler to miss the entire 2015 season. Obviously not ideal for a top pick looking to make an immediate impact.
Fast forward a year later, and the Jaguars are undoubtedly interested to see what Fowler can bring to the table. They did a great job of adding impact players to their defensive mix this off season, most notably big-time free agent DL Malik Jackson and rookies Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack at CB and LB respectively.
Add in Fowler and the Jaguars have assembled an incredibly talented defensive core to build around. Sure, there are plenty of injury concerns here, but if Fowler can return from injury without missing a beat, then the Jaguars’ defense could dominate in 2016.
Fowler was not a dominating pass rusher in college, totaling only 14.5 sacks in his three seasons at Florida. That being said, he possesses the natural speed and athleticism on the edge that gives his massive pass rush upside, and landing in Jacksonville is the perfect situation for him to reach his potential.
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Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is an aggressive defensive coach who knows how to use his players in ideal situations. At 6-foot-3, 261 pounds, Fowler is under-sized for a 4-3 defensive end, but it is his speed and athleticism off of the edge that makes him special.
An under-sized Fowler is a perfect fit in Bradley’s defense at the LEO defensive end position, where ideal pass rush situations are created for a talented outside speed rusher. On paper, it is literally the perfect position for Fowler in the NFL.
However, the game is never played on paper. Fowler is still completely unproven at the next level, and while his athleticism was top-notch prior to the injury, it remains to be seen if the torn ACL will have any long-term effects on Fowler as a player.
The early reports on his recovery for 2016 have been encouraging, but it is incredibly difficult to judge Fowler’s ability until we see him in real NFL game action.
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The talent and upside are undoubtedly real, and Fowler’s situation in Jacksonville is perfect. However, is he a legitimate impact player at the NFL level? We will know soon enough.