JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It feels as though a lot more is known about the Jaguars offensive identity than that of the defensive side. Liam Coen has been very open about what he wants to do in Jacksonville and there’s tangible evidence of him as an offensive play caller.
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the Jaguars defense as this will be Anthony Campanile’s first time as a defensive coordinator at any level.
That said, his past and coaching lineage just might provide an idea of what sort of defensive philosophy Campanile will bring to Jacksonville.
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His time serving as the linebackers coach and run-game coordinator in Green Bay may give us the best hint in terms of both recency and role. Contrary to Jacksonville, the Packers ran a very zone-heavy scheme at around 78% of the time, second most in the NFL.
The Jaguars on the other hand ranked 30th in their use of zone coverage. If Campanile does bring this zone coverage scheme with him, none may be more excited than Tyson Campbell who, as we previously discussed, is much better suited for zone than man.
Over the course of Campanile’s time in the NFL, no defensive coordinator he has served under has been a heavy blitzer. Jeff Hafley and Vic Fangio, Campanile’s previous defensive coordinators, both ranked towards the bottom of the league in terms of blitz rates.
Fangio, famously, didn’t call a single blitz in the Super Bowl as his Eagles’ defense suffocated Pat Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers ranked 31st, the Eagles 28th, and the Jaguars 32nd last season in blitz rates.
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Let’s discuss Fangio, the man who has shaped today’s NFL defense and pioneered a defensive revolution. Campanile served under Fangio during his time in Miami. Fangio’s a big advocate of two-high shells, light defensive boxes and match-zone coverages, The Eagles led the NFL in light boxes last season.
Fangio’s philosophy is to lean on a strong defensive line and load the secondary, overwhelming offenses with sheer numbers on the back end. Whether it was Aaron Donald during his time with the Rams or the Eagles’ stacked defensive front last season, a dominant line is nearly essential for operating Fangio’s scheme as they essentially will be on their own rushing the passer and against the run.
Fangio’s coverages are also incredibly complex as his match-zone scheme requires his secondary to be at the top of their games and working seamlessly in unison. It combines elements of both zone and man coverage. Match-zone coverages are generally very tight zones, utilizing the overwhelming numbers in the secondary.
Common match-zone coverage types include Cover 4, Cover 6, and Cover 8.
To the surprise of no one, Fangio’s Eagles ranked 3rd and 1st, respectively, in their use of Cover 4 and Cover 6.
Not a lot is known quite yet what exactly Campanile plans to do defensively in Jacksonville, however, if his time in Green Bay and Miami are any indication, zone coverages, low blitz rates, light boxes, and great defensive fronts will become the norm. The necessity for a dominant defensive line in the Fangio system might just hint as to the direction the Jaguars go in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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