On the first day the Jaguars put on full pads last Saturday, defensive tackle Malik Jackson unleashed his bad side.

Midway through a pass rush drill, he began to point and yell at several of the Jaguars’ offensive linemen, including rookie left tackle Cam Robinson, apparently convinced they weren’t battling enough toward the end of the drill.

Despite moving onto the next drill, Jackson’s sour mood didn’t change. And after four consecutive days practicing in pads, he has still been yelling, not appearing to be in a good mood.

On Wednesday, he was seen angrily mumbling to himself after right guard A.J. Cann unloaded a crushing block on him as he tried to power through but couldn’t.

"That’s pretty much who I am,’’ Jackson said after Thursday’s practice. "I like to get riled up. I feel like it brings the best out of me and the other guys. Coach [Doug Marrone] talks about keeping people accountable and that’s what I’m doing. So it’s just being out their vocal.’’

Jackson said if the guards have a bad game this season, he is going to take it personal because he thinks defensive linemen Calais Campbell, Michael Bennett, Sheldon Day, along with himself, have the best three-technique moves they are going to see in the league.

"If we go out there and we put each other in the dirt, make each other see things we don’t normally see or be real crafty then that’s going to make us better," Jackson said. "When we see it in the game we can defeat it. I think making predictions and working hard so we can meet those predictions is a big thing for me and this team."

Because of Jackson and Campbell and their two cornerbacks, A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey, the Jaguars’ defense could be a strong unit this season. Their first test is Monday-Tuesday in joint practices with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady. The Jaguars open the preseason against the Patriots next Thursday.

Among all the Jaguars’ players, Jackson probably came to training camp with the highest expectations for the team. He gave a brash prediction last month on a national podcast that the Jaguars will 16-0 this season and win the Super Bowl despite coming off a miserable 3-13 record last season and having only 17 wins since 2012.

When asked about Jackson’s prediction, Campbell didn’t downplay it.

"You have to have a lot of pieces to the puzzle in place; I feel like we have those pieces," Campbell said.

At least Jackson, though, is not just talking big.

He’s been performing at a high level throughout camp after putting himself through a rigid offseason condition program. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by Marrone.

"I see someone who this offseason put a lot of time and work in," Marrone said. "He came back, his lean mass is up. He’s much stronger than he’s been, so he’s able to be available and he’s out there and playing well for us right now. He is giving us great, quality snaps from top to bottom."

After winning the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos in 2015, Jackson signed a six-year $90 million free agent contract with the Jaguars in 2016. Last season, he had 33 tackles and 25 1/2 quarterback forces that ranked second on the team.

Although Jackson said he has been a vocal player since his third year in the league, in 2014 with the Broncos, he acknowledged that he was less vocal last season. He also admitted that he didn’t begin camp last season with the same urgency that he’s been displaying so far.

"When I came in last year I wasn’t too vocal because I wasn’t trying to step on any toes," Jackson said. "This wasn’t my team. I just got here. I wanted to learn the playbook and find myself and see who everyone was. It’s a little different time for me right now. I take a little more ownership and a little more of a leadership role than I did last year."