DE/OLB Brent Hawkins (1 Viewer)

[Jiggyonthehut]

An assortment of media clips about the guy. I drooled over this guy during the first few camps and really loved his pass-rushing abilities. Named most outstanding defensive player of Jaguars camp. Now, he's getting reps with the first team.

8/1/06

By Vic Ketchman, jaguars.com senior editor

He's not big and he doesn't have a major college pedigree, but Brent Hawkins could turn out to be the steal of the draft for the Jaguars. Pass-rushers are that important.

Hawkins, 6-2, 245, is a pass-rush specialist. For now, he does one thing; just that one thing. In time, he will learn to drop into coverage and do more than one thing, but the Jaguars will offer no complaints this year if Hawkins only sacks the quarterback.

“I know what they want me to be,” he said.

He knew what that was on draft day, when the Jaguars invested a rather inexpensive fifth-round pick on a guy who produced 17 sacks at I-AA Illinois State last season. That's right, 17.

Could he have done the same playing against the big boys?

“I believe so,” Hawkins said. “I proved a I-AA player can succeed at the I-A level; a sack, a forced fumble and MVP at the Hula Bowl.”

Bill Teerlinck was Hawkins' coach at Illinois State. Teerlinck is the son of Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck, whose prize pupils are Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, both of whom are undersized pass-rush specialists.

“He had me watching tape of Freeney and Mathis all the time,” Hawkins said of his college coach.

Ted Monachino is the Jaguars' assistant defensive line coach and a pass-rush instructor who tutored Terrell Suggs at Arizona State. Monachino is grooming Hawkins' pass-rush skills.

“When he puts his hand down, he's pretty comfortable with it,” Monachino said of Hawkins. “There are a lot of similarities (to Suggs). Terrell is a lot bigger but there are a lot of athletic similarities.

“Size isn't the key. He has to develop a pre-snap plan that matches the protector he's going to face,” Monachino added of Hawkins.

In a one-on-one pass-rush drill this past Sunday evening, Hawkins lit up Khalif Barnes with a spin move and, by and large, had his way with the Jaguars' premier pass-blocker.

“He's fast off the edge. I think he's got special qualities as a pass-rusher,” Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith said of Hawkins.

Another snippet...

Hawkins made his presence known last year and in a big way. He's shooting up draft boards after a two-week whirlwind tour of pre-draft visits that included seven teams -- Kansas City, Atlanta, Green Bay, Dallas, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Pittsburgh. He also worked out for Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith. Jacksonville came to Hawkins for a second look last Sunday. And the Giants, Vikings, and Cardinals have all been showing interest as well. Hawkins is getting serious consideration as both a defensive end and as a linebacker.

“Brent went out there and won the Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He just dominated at the level," his agent Brian Levy told us. "He went out to the Hula Bowl and won Defensive MVP. He was a very disruptive force on the field.

"He’s a physical specimen, a total athlete. From where he’s coming from, at that level, his pass-rushing skills are further developed than some of these D-1 guys who are rated higher by these so-called services at this point."

Hawkins has been overlooked a bit because he started out at Purdue, transferred out to play basketball, but then returned to football the following year with Illinois State. He has just 19 game appearances and 16 starts under his belt, but his results have been amazing. In 2005, Hawkins led the NCAA Division I-AA in tackles for loss (26.5) and forced fumbles (7). He finished second in the division in sacks with 17, which established single-season records for Illinois State and the Gateway Conference.

And finally: From radio host Tony Boselli

Brent Hawkins is going to get time in the sub packages with the first team defense at DE.

Preseason games: Week 1: Miami: Used in situational role: 1 sack to begin, double-teamed rest of the night.

Week 2: Hawkins: Backed up Spicer, came in 2nd quarter against Carolina's 1st team offense. Again, another sack, double-teamed for rest of the time.

It seems a bit strange to me that they would go about to swing extra coverage to that side of the line-especially with him being a rookie. But he absolutely roasted Wahle with a spin move and got the sack.

There is talk among many wishful Jags fan that he could be groomed to take the RDE spot from spicer for good or possibly start immediately at the open LB spot. Regardless, good sleeper value here.