Malik Jackson to Jaguars Could Be One of NFL Free Agency's Most Impactful Moves

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley never had the pleasure of working with defensive end Michael Bennett during his time as the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. However, the Jaguars will officially acquire a Bennett-like presence along their defensive front when the NFL's new league year opens Wednesday at 4 p.m ET. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Jaguars and free-agent defensive end Malik Jackson struck a deal Tuesday during the league's two-day legal tampering period: 

With Jackson's eventual addition to the roster, the Jaguars will become one of the AFC's more intriguing teams. 

Last year, Jacksonville took a step in the right direction, as it improved by two games over its 2014 campaign. The Jaguars still finished 5-11, but the team saw tremendous growth in certain areas—particularly on offense with the continued development of quarterback Blake Bortles, rookie running back T.J. Yeldon and wide receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. 

While the offense proved to be exciting and explosive at times, the defense didn't hold up its end of the bargain. 

Bradley may be a defensive-minded coach and one of the architects of the Legion of Boom, but his group finished 24th overall in total defense last season. Statistically, Jacksonville's unit averaged slightly more yards allowed per game in 2015 than when it finished 26th overall in total defense during the 2014 campaign. 

Massive changes and talent upgrades are needed, and it starts with the former Denver Broncos defensive lineman. 

Jackson's deal with the Jaguars is a reflection of the changing face of NFL defense and how the game's being played. Everyone knows the NFL is a passing league, and the ability to get to the quarterback holds massive value. 

How teams want to attack protections and put pressure on quarterbacks continues to evolve. 

MARK D. PHILLIPS/Getty Images

New York Giants Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor once revolutionized the game as the most dynamic edge-rusher in NFL history. The book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game was partially dedicated to Taylor's impact when it wasn't detailing Michael Oher's story. 

In reaction to Taylor's presence, teams started to place their most athletic blockers on the left side to protect a quarterback's blind side. 

Truly dynamic pass-rushers like Taylor or the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt can be more than edge-rushers running the ring to a quarterback. Smart defensive coordinators find ways to create mismatches against the weakest link along an offensive line. 

As the NFL trended toward bigger, longer and more athletic offensive tackles, the same transition didn't occur along the interior. 

This gave way to defensive coordinators taking good defensive ends, who might not be as athletic off the edge, and sliding them inside to create similar mismatches. 

Bennett is arguably the best example of a starting defensive end who is regularly moved inside to apply pressure.

Jackson can also be counted among this new breed of pass-rusher: someone who makes a quarterback more uncomfortable than any other because these defenders don't allow them to step up in the pocket and deliver the football. 

With one simple advanced statistic, Pro Football Focus provided the perfect reason why the Tennessee product is such a huge addition to the Jaguars defensive front: 

His presence extends beyond mismatches against guards. 

Bradley likes to line up his base end from an inside shade against an offensive tackle. In Denver, Jackson primarily lined up as a 5-technique, but this role is perfectly suited to his talents. 

Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke detailed just how often Jacksonville lined up in such a manner as well as Jackson's overall effectiveness when asked to do the same with the Broncos: 

"

Most pressures when lining up on inside shade of OT: 1.Malik Jackson/Gerald McCoy 18, 3.Short 14, 4.Hatcher/Bennett 13, 6.Heyward/Tuitt 12

— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) March 8, 2016"

The difficulty of blocking the 6'5", 293-pound defender in these situations stems from a combination of first-step quickness and power to hold up at the point of attack. 

Fran Duffy of the Philadelphia Eagles' official website provided visual proof from this year's Super Bowl run that shows how dynamic Jackson can be when used properly: 

All of this leads to the overarching point concerning the Jaguars' standing within the AFC South. 

Last year, the division was up for grabs. The Texans eventually stumbled their way to a division crown, whereas the Jaguars couldn't string together enough wins to remain in the playoff hunt. 

But an overall look at the AFC South shows why Jackson is such an important acquisition. 

Two of Jacksonville's division rivals—the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans—have two young, talented signal-callers in Andrew Luck and Marcus Mariota. Both teams allow far too much pressure on their quarterbacks, though.  

In order to compete with these opponents in the coming years, the Jaguars must make Luck's and Mariota's lives miserable. The same can be said of whatever young signal-caller the Texans acquire this offseason. 

Dictating what teams do offensively is an area where Jacksonville has struggled since Bradley took over. With Jackson in the lineup, the defense should be more capable of doing just that. 

However, he shouldn't be seen as the franchise's savior, as NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal noted:

What Jackson should become is a key piece to the puzzle who allows Jacksonville to take another step as a franchise. As mentioned earlier, the offense already did the same a year ago with its young talent. 

It's now the defense's turn. 

Jackson will become the focal point and a potentially dominant piece if used correctly, but he'll have help. Last year's No. 3 overall pick, Dante Fowler Jr., should finally see the field after tearing his ACL in his first professional practice. Jackson and Fowler have the potential to develop into dynamic bookends. 

These additions alone will add to a pass rush that finished 20th overall in sacks last season. 

One of last year's big free-agent signings, Jared Odrick, can move inside and form a rotation with Tyson Alualu, Roy Miller and Abry Jones. 

The Jaguars also own the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft to add yet another major piece to the puzzle. 

Before the team reaches that point, though, it's far from finished in free agency, as the Florida Times-Union's Hays Carlyon mentioned: 

The Jaguars will eventually need some of that cap space to sign Bortles, Robinson and Hurns to long-term extensions, but those aren't counted among the organization's immediate concerns. Adding more defensive help remains a priority. 

Jackson's contract makes him the third-highest-paid defensive end in the NFL behind Watt and the New York Jets' Muhammad Wilkerson. His average of $15 million per season also redefined the current market. 

In a free-agency period where teams combined for nearly $1 billion in total cap space, Jackson became the first major domino to fall as arguably the most sought-after target. 

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

He won't be the only free agent to reset the market in the coming days. Positions like right tackle, guard and center will likely experience massive leaps in compensation as teams attempt to protect quarterbacks from these highly paid pass-rushers. 

Former Miami Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon could be the next recipient of the Jaguars' good fortune. Jackson quickly became the focal point at the start of free agency, but Jacksonville might pair him with Vernon, according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole. 

Once the season starts, Bradley's defense could be coming at quarterbacks in waves. 

Jacksonville is already the league's third-youngest team, and it's set to add more talented players entering their prime or just coming into the league. This all points toward a continued upward trajectory. 

The fallout of Jackson's signing will reverberate throughout the entire organization. 

Everything starts with competing in the AFC South, and the defensive end will provide the type of presence Jacksonville previously lacked during Bradley's tenure to achieve this goal. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.