The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially signed defensive end Breeland Speaks. With this move they waive edge rusher De’Shaan Dixon, whom will revert to the Jaguars injury reserve if unclaimed. Here I’m going to break down the addition and how I believe it will impact Jacksonville this season.
Speaks had a great collegiate career for Mississippi having 15 tackles for loss and 9 sacks with 127 total tackles. Speaks was formerly drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft with the 46th overall pick. Speaks never was never able to put it all together for an NFL team bouncing around the league since he was drafted going from Kansas City, to Las Vegas in 2020, to Dallas in the same year, to Buffalo in 2021, to the New York Giants in the same year, and finally to San Francisco in 2023. That of course, was before Breeland Speaks chose to try out the USFL, which later became the UFL.
Last year, Speaks decided to join the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League in the USFL in 2022 in which he led the league in sacks with 9. Speaks remained on Michigan in the UFL’s first season following the combination of the XFL and USFL. This decision ended up being a fantastic one for Speaks as he absolutely dominated the league having 9.5 sacks during the regular season which led the league, as well as 13 tackles for loss which also led the United Football League. Speaks had the most single game tackles for loss this past season in the UFL, having 4 against the Houston Roughnecks. Speaks also recorded 3 sacks within a two game span being the only United Football League player to do so, this feat being against the Memphis Showboats and Houston Roughnecks. After an entire season of sheer dominance, Breeland Speaks was chosen to be the United Football League’s very first Defensive Player of the Year. Speaks proved to be the leader of not only his defense but the entire team as he was proven to be the best pass rusher AND run defender the entire season. Speaks led the Michigan Panthers to the UFL Playoffs, however they lost in the Conference Championship to the juggernaut Birmingham Stallions. The Stallions have won their league’s past 3 Championships and nearly been undefeated among the entire 3 seasons. Despite the loss Speaks still proved he was the best defensive player of his respective football league arguably 2 years in a row and he should be given his flowers.
Maybe the biggest question about the signing is if there is a legitimate chance that Speaks can find success in the NFL, and if success from the UFL is translatable. There is no definitive answer to that especially when it comes to premium positions in the NFL sadly. No player from the XFL, USFL, or UFL have been given a real chance to start at such a highly touted position such as an edge rusher. On the other hand there have been countless amounts of players from those leagues that have fought to make an NFL roster at those positions, even if they are not seen as premium pieces. Many players, especially on defense, have proven that they can be a decent rotational piece and experienced veteran in the positional room even if they aren’t superstars. These types of rotational contributors should certainly still be valued as fans and especially for NFL teams and General Managers.
When it comes to less premium positions on the other hand, players have most definitely proved that they have a legitimate chance of seeing the field and becoming starters even on good teams. Some of these players have gone as far to have proven that they can become some of the best at their respective positions. A handful of players that came to the NFL following success from one of the secondary leagues have even gone on to be selected to be pro bowlers such as kicker Brandon Aubrey and kick returner/wide receiver KaVontae Turpin. Last season Brandon Aubrey proved to be one of the NFL’s best kickers for Dallas having 157 points, good for first in the league. Brandon Aubrey also had the seventh highest field goal percentage at 94.7% as well as even being able to kick the ball as deep as anyone being tied for the fourth longest field goal made, at 60 yards. Aubrey broke multiple records for Dallas such as the most consecutive field goals made ever and being the first and only player to make 2 kicks from 59+ yards back in a single game. Overall, becoming a contributor for a competitive team as and edge rusher will likely prove to be more difficult than being a starter on special teams, but there certainly is room for Speaks to prove he can be a solid player on the Jaguars defense. This is especially true considering the production Speaks had in the United football league that earned him the title of Defensive Player of the Year. Speaks wasn’t just a good player for the UFL, he was arguably the very best!
As it pertains the the tape there certainly is no question about it that Breeland Speaks deserves to be in the National Football League. He has a wide dense frame with long arms for his size and explosive burst off the line. Speaks has impeccable timing that he is always the first one to move but never offsides. He is an extremely strong tackler wrapping guys up with his wide shoulders quickly and effectively. Speaks is not afraid of contact whatsoever but certainly knows to avoid certain penalties. Speaks greatly utilizes his hands to get passed blockers having a remarkable club move among other finishers that I’m looking forward to seeing in the black and teal. Speaks has enough athleticism to quickly shed blocks for instant pressure which is where he has especially shined paired with his burst off the line. However, he also displays great strength for his size as a very compact player who has the will power to force his way into making a play. Speaks is a veteran at 28 years old which somewhat limits his upside, but he is a do it all edge rusher that looks to prove he can be the player Jacksonville is hoping for.
From the Jaguars point of view, I absolutely am in love with this signing. This is a move that takes absolutely zero risk as the Jaguars are not handing out a major contract, but the upside of the deal is phenomenal. Speaks has shown that he can consistently dominate on any down as a starter for a football team, so I am positive that Speaks can and will prove to be a good contributor so long as he’s given the right opportunity to be a rotational piece. This move comes at just the right time as just two days ago I discussed how the depth at edge rusher was looking very lackluster for Jacksonville. The lack of depth became even more drastic after the injury to edge rusher De’Shaan Dixon, who was the one edge rusher behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker that had caught my eye in training camp. I believe Speaks has the potential to come in day one and prove to be the Jaguars best back up defensive end behind JHA and Travon Walker. I expect Speaks to easily make the 53 man roster. While I don’t quite think that Breeland’s Defensive Player of the Year numbers will continue, I believe Speaks has a real opportunity to be a quality piece for this Jacksonville defense with the upside to contribute 3-7 sacks as a rotational defensive end. I personally would absolutely love for Speaks to show that he can be a solid player at a key position in the NFL and further the recognition of the UFL.