Khalen Saunders shares first impressions of Jaguars' defense
Khalen Saunders found out he was being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars not long after the preseason game against his former team, the New Orleans Saints.
Not long after Saunders got home from the stadium, and in the midst of a game of Fortnite, he received a call from Saints' coach Kellen Moore to tell him the news.
Admittedly, Saunders was surprised, but then that feeling quickly turned to excitement when he learned he was joining the Jaguars.
"I always keep an eye out, watching around different defenses, and man, these guys attack," Saunders said of the Jaguars' defense.
Saunders knew about the disruptive edge rushers the Jaguars have with Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, while DaVon Hamilton and he are represented by the same agency. So the two were able to connect prior to Saunders' arrival in Jacksonville.
The addition of Saunders to the Jaguars' defensive tackle room provides a big boost in depth. Saunders is an experienced and accomplished player in his career, who adds another run-stuffing presence to the position.
However, as defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile described after Wednesday's practice, he also likes Saunders' ability to get after the quarterback as well.
Saunders could immediately slot in as a rotational defender behind DaVon Hamilton. Skill set-wise, he fits well in Campanile's 4-3 scheme and Saunders likes the versatility and movement that comes with this system.
"Oh, I love him," Saunders said of Campanile. "He's a good guy. He knows what he wants. That's the most important part, I feel like. When you have a coach who specifically knows what he wants on each play. And there's a reason behind everything, and I love that because I've always been trying to get the philosophy behind the play calling.
Saunders continued, "Coach Camp, he knows exactly what he wants. He knows how he wants it executed, even down to like where you want us to step and the technique you want us to go with when we're moving and stuff like that. I like that very particular detail because it makes it easier on me."
Saunders also brings big-game experience to the Jaguars, having won two Super Bowls during his time with Kansas City.
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