The Jacksonville Jaguars had nowhere to go up after finishing 4-13 last year. Granted, they weren't the worst team in the NFL, but they had gotten progressively worse since making the playoffs and winning the AFC South in 2022. To steer the ship in the right direction, the Jags first dismissed head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke. They then replaced them with Liam Coen and James Gladstone, respectively.
The duo got to work right away and wasted no time addressing several needs in free agency. They ended up signing nine different players. All of them will be expected to contribute in different capacities, but some of them will have bigger roles than others.
This begs the question: Which free-agent signings should the Jaguars expect to have the biggest impact in 2025? These four come to mind.
Patrick Mekari, offensive guard
3 years, $37.5 million
The Jaguars' inability to run the football and protect Trevor Lawrence last year arose from the interior offensive line. More often than not, they were pushed around at the line of scrimmage, so the new regime wasted no time beefing up the interior trenches in free agency. Their biggest acquisition, without a doubt, was Patrick Mekari.
As a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Mekari played all positions on the offensive line. While he fared well more often than not, he wasn't able to hit his stride until he lined up at left guard full-time in 2024. That, and his flexibility to play anywhere across the line of scrimmage, made him an appealing target in free agency.
With the Jaguars, Mekari will tentatively replace Brandon Scheff at right guard, but there's a chance he could stay on the left side if the Jaguars add another big in the draft. Either way, Jacksonville should do a better job of running the football and keeping Lawrence up right with him in the fold.
Robert Hainsey, center
3 years, $21 million
Patrick Mekari wasn't the only offensive lineman Jacksonville signed in free agency. The front office also added Robert Hainsay to fill in for Mitch Morse, who retired after the 2024 season.
It's true that Hainsey got benched in favor of 2024 first-round pick Graham Barton, but he proved to be a capable starter in 2022 and 2023. Moreover, he came through when called upon last year, so he should have no trouble hitting his stride right off the bat in Jacksonvillle.
Sure, Hainsey may not be the long-term answer at center, but he should be able to hold the fort for at least a couple years.
Jourdan Lewis, cornerback
3 years, $30 million
Even though the Jaguars devoted significant resources to improving the offense in free agency, they didn't neglect the defense. In fact, they addressed a massive need when they signed cornerback Jourdan Lewis.
The move raised eyebrows at first because Jacksonville needed a boundary corner opposite Tyson Campbell, and Lewis had mostly lined up in the slot throughout most of his stint with the Dallas Cowboys. However, a closer look shows that the Michigan Wolverine thrived when he played outside.
It is uncertain whether Lewis will play inside or outside in Jacksonville, but there's no doubt that he'll have a featured role.
Dyami Brown, wide receiver
The Jaguars needed to round out Trevor Lawrence's arsenal of weapons, but instead of breaking the bank for either Chris Godwin or Stefon Diggs, they took a flyer on Dyami Brown.
The signing was welcomed with a blank stare because Brown hadn't done much of note throughout most of his NFL career. It wasn't until last year, during the Washington Commanders' playoff run, that he put it all together. Then again, that was enough to convince the Jags to sign him to a prove-it deal.
The Jags already had a deep threat in Brian Thomas Jr., but needed someone who could draw coverage away from him and help him find more favorable matchups. Brown showed with the Comamanders that he can be that guy.
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