Jacksonville, Fla. — It’s no secret that the Jaguars’ cornerbacks and secondary as a whole struggled in 2024.
The unit allowed nearly 400 yards per game through the air, including 71 passes of 20 or more yards, the most in the NFL.
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Not only that, the defense as a whole forced just eight turnovers and six interceptions. It’s for these reasons and plenty more that James Gladstone and the Jaguars decided to prioritize the secondary this offseason.
Out with Ronald Darby and Andre Cisco and in with Jourdan Lewis, Eric Murray, Travis Hunter, and Caleb Ransaw.
The cornerback position, specifically, is one that the Jaguars have invested a lot of capital in. Whether it’s Campbell, Lewis, or Hunter, Jacksonville has spent and spent big at the position.
Now it’s time for those efforts to be rewarded.
Last season, Ronald Darby and Montaric Brown each allowed over 600 yards passing and passer ratings over 100.0. Darby’s 1.60 yards allowed per coverage snap was third third-worst among 88 qualifying cornerbacks per Field Vision. Insert Jourdan Lewis into the mix.
Lewis, former Cowboys’ ace in the slot, replaces Darby with the intent for him to play inside for the Jaguars.
In 2024, Lewis allowed an NFL rating in coverage of 89.7, collecting eight passes defensed and one interception. It was his expertise in the slot, however, that garnered him the largest contract ever for a slot defender.
Lewis’ 12.6% target rate and 75.0 NFL rating in the slot ranked first and fourth, respectively, among the top 30 qualifying defenders, according to Pro Football Focus.
He was targeted seldomly and performed admirably when he was.
The Jaguars doubled down at the cornerback position by drafting Travis Hunter with the second overall pick.
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Though he is playing the majority of his initial snaps at receiver, there’s no doubt the Jaguars fully intend for Hunter to play both ways.
In Colorado, Hunter allowed an NFL rating in coverage of just 39.9. Statistically, that’s comparable to spiking the ball into the dirt every play. Not only that, the Heisman winner allowed a completion rate of just 56.1% and was PFF’s third-ranked corner in coverage.
There’s a lot to be optimistic about when it comes to Lewis and Hunter, and that’s before even considering the shift away from Nielsen’s man-heavy scheme towards a more flexible defense. That’s certainly something Tyson Campbell will benefit from.
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