The Jaguars had a very good defense during the 2025 season under rookie head coach Liam Coen and rookie defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. The pairing will seek to have the Jaguars’ defense go from very good to great as the two head into their second season in their respective roles. The personnel that the Jaguars have on the defensive side of things will also loom large as the 2026 season approaches. I have gone into detail assessing the Jaguars’ personnel in their front seven and here I will go into detail analyzing where the team stands from a personnel standpoint in their secondary.
Set to start at the first of the two cornerback spots is Travis Hunter who was very effective in limited rookie snaps before going down with a season ending injury, ranking among the better players at the position. Hunter is in line to become one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL going forward after a very strong rookie season playing corner.
Set to start at the strong safety spot is veteran Eric Murray who is likely better suited as a backup and who would not even be a high-end backup in my estimation either. Murray in every season where he has logged extended snaps has failed to grade in the above average range among players at his position in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus even once in nine seasons. Murray is however consistently far from awful but will remain a prime candidate to move to a reserve role as the season progresses. As the Jaguars have a couple of young high draft pick safeties who can certainly take his place.
Antonio Johnson who is set to start at the free safety spot could soon become a household name in the NFL. Johnson, a 5th round pick in the 2023 draft, had a very strong rookie season in limited snaps but then struggled in year 2 in the NFL. In year 3 Johnson seemed to put it all together as Pro Football Focus graded him as the best overall safety in the NFL during the 2025 season. It remains to be seen if Johnson can maintain his level of play going forward but the Jaguars could very well have an elite player who is one of the best at the position for the 2026 season.
Montaric Brown occupies the other primary cornerback spot for the Jaguars and had a very good season in 2025. Brown struggled to begin his career as you would expect any young player to do but then came into his own last season. Brown graded in the below average to well below average range among players at his position in each of his first two seasons taking extended snaps but then graded in the well above average range during the 2025 season. Brown was very good during the 2025 season, but it remains to be seen if he can maintain that level of play with consistency as he progresses in his career.
Former third rounder Jourdan Lewis is set to start at the nickel cornerback position and just like his previous two mentioned contemporaries has a very high ceiling but struggles to remain consistent. Lewis in nine seasons in the NFL has graded in the above average range five times and often has graded in the well above average range. Lewis has played at a well above average clip for two seasons in a row now, but this was after four straight seasons of subpar production. Lewis struggles to remain consistent and will play next season at the age of 31, so it remains to be seen how strong of a player the Jaguars will get next season.
From a depth standpoint in the front seven the Jaguars have some notable names that could provide the team with some depth and/or potentially step into the starting lineup if some of the starters are not playing well. Safety Caleb Ransaw was drafted in the third round of the 2025 draft but failed to see the field at all as a rookie, perhaps Ransaw can come into his own next season and live up to his high draft potential. The Jaguars also drafted safety Jalen Huskey in the 3rd round of the 2026 draft who could also prove to be a high-level player. The most noteworthy backup in the Jaguars secondary is 2024 3rd rounder Jarrian Jones. Jones has played at an elite level in his first two seasons in the NFL and is arguably the best overall reserve defensive player in the entire sport as of now. Jones could very well step into a starting role for the Jaguars this upcoming season.
The Jaguars have one of the most talented secondaries in the NFL that could prove to be one of the best in the league next season. A breakdown of the Jaguars’ secondary can be found below.
2026 Jaguars Starting Secondary
LCB – Travis Hunter – B+ to A- in limited rookie snaps as 2025 1st rounder, in line to become a star
SS – Eric Murray – C, better suited as backup
FS – Antonio Johnson – A-, top graded safety in the whole NFL last season
RCB – Montaric Brown – B-, high ceiling, inconsistent
NB – Jourdan Lewis – B-, high ceiling, inconsistent
Notable 2026 Jaguars Secondary Reserves
S – Jalen Huskey – 2026 3rd rounder
S – Caleb Ransaw – 2025 3rd rounder, 0 career snaps thus far
CB – Jarrian Jones – A to A-, maybe best reserve defensive player in the whole NFL as of now
