With the Jacksonville Jaguars' recent announcement of their team captains—and how awesome last season went (sarcasm implied)—it's no surprise that two out of the six are newly acquired free agents. This is especially telling, as new head coach Liam Coen stated that players' votes, while not the deciding factor, were taken into account when he chose the captains.
When speaking about his process for choosing captains, he said (3:50 mark), "They vote, and you take all that into consideration...You sit down with the staff and decide what's the best for the team." Today, those captains were announced, and two of them include a couple of free-agent acquisitions.
Locker room leaders 🫡⁰⁰#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/lWnNh6Zyqi
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 1, 2025
With that in mind, let's take a look at who's shaping up to be the three best free agency signings
Best Jaguars free agent signings
Jaguars offensive lineman Robert Hainsey
No surprise here. The players and coaches like Hainsey's presence in the locker room enough to vote him as a team captain, and though he was supplanted last year by rookie Graham Barton, Pro Football Focus still ranks him at tenth out of 64 centers.
I know PFF isn't gospel, but keep in mind that Hainsey has been in Coen's offense for a year already. That's an added level of consistency that's been lacking for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who's now looking at his third center in as many years.
Related: Latest Jaguars prediction reflects what everyone expects from them in 2025
Jaguars defensive back Jourdan Lewis
Another no-brainer, Lewis was also voted as one of the team captains. While not a lockdown corner, he's nonetheless poised to have another solid year and adds much-needed confidence and discipline to a locker room that sorely needed it.
With Tyson Campbell hopefully returning to form and a pair of veteran safeties in Andrew Wingard and Eric Murray, I'll be expecting an improvement in a secondary that struggled mightily last year.
Though, to be fair, a "serviceable" secondary would an improvement, so the bar isn't overly high.
Jaguars wide receiver Dyami Brown
While not quite a "sneaky" pick, general manager James Gladstone's signing of former Washington Commanders receiver Dyami Brown is looking like it'll be a lot of bang for the buck. The fifth-year receiver initially added some much-needed speed, though others like running back Bhayshul Tuten and wide receiver Travis Hunter have also rounded out an offense that will be much faster than last year.
And even if Brown's numbers don't necessarily reflect his value at the end of the season, his mere presence adds a level of depth and maturity to a young receiver room. Brian Thomas Jr. might draw the most attention, but you can be sure Brown's speed on the field will be felt by the season's end. At the very least, fantasy players may want to pick him up as a sleeper.
Related: Jaguars' team awards predictions for 2025 season include non-Travis Hunter rookie
Final thoughts
Not playing a single regular-season game isn't going to stop me from making bold predictions, though I suppose a lack of meaningful action is what makes the predictions bold. Either way, look to see these three fresh faces making big plays and bigger moves for the next eighteen weeks—and, hopefully, into the playoffs.
Yeah. You heard me. I said playoffs.