Selected 13th overall out of Georgia in the 2001 NFL Draft, Marcus Stroud arrived in North Florida as a cornerstone piece for a rebuilding defense. After spending his rookie campaign learning the speed of the professional game in a rotational role, Stroud became the full-time starting defensive tackle in 2002. From that point onward, he became a fixture in the middle, starting every single game he appeared in for Jacksonville over the next six seasons.

When the Jaguars drafted John Henderson in 2002, Stroud became part of "Hurricane & Stroud," arguably the most physically dominant interior defensive line duo of the 2000s. Playing mainly at left defensive tackle, Stroud used excellent leverage, raw strength, and quickness off the line to collapse pockets and close running lanes. His prime run lasted three seasons from 2003 to 2005, during which he earned three consecutive Pro Bowl selections and three straight Second-Team AP All-Pro honors (2003, 2004, 2005). With Stroud anchoring the interior line, Jacksonville built a top-tier defense that helped the franchise reach the playoffs in 2005 and 2007.

Injuries began catching up to Stroud during his final two campaigns in teal, limiting his availability before Jacksonville traded him to the Buffalo Bills in early 2008. Stroud spent three seasons in Buffalo before ending his career, but his prime years in Jacksonville made him one of the defining defensive players in Jaguars franchise history.

With the Jags, Stroud had 22 sacks, 43 tackles for loss, and 279 combined tackles.