​Between now and training camp, we’ll be reviewing the Jacksonville Jaguars’ full 90-man roster and previewing each player. Up next is linebacker Dennis Gardeck, who wears No. 47. He stands 6-0, weighs 232 pounds, is 31 years old, and is in his ninth NFL season. He played college football at Sioux Falls. The Jaguars originally signed Gardeck to a one-year deal in June 2025, and he later inked a two-year, $6.5 million contract earlier this offseason to remain with the team.
Gardeck brings a distinct skill set to Jacksonville’s defense. In their base 4-3 alignment, he operates as the SAM linebacker, though the majority of his snaps have come at the line of scrimmage as a pass rusher. He finished the prior season with 25 pressures, three sacks, and 35 total tackles. In addition to his pass-rush contributions, he was a core special teams player, logging 283 snaps across five of the six different phases.
His versatility should continue to be a defining attribute for the Jaguars, and he figures to be a crucial member of the special teams unit as well. It will be interesting to observe whether his defensive role evolves in Year 2 under Anthony Campanile. The defensive scheme is no longer in its infancy; what’s been established can be built upon, and a defender with Gardeck’s versatility could be deployed in even more varied ways.
There’s also curiosity about how his workload as a pass rusher might look. Behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, there are still questions due to inexperience, so the Jaguars face a choice: give more opportunities to the younger pass-rushing forwards, or continue leveraging Gardeck’s proven production in that area. This excerpt originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars roster preview: The impact of LB Dennis Gardeck for better SEO.