The Jacksonville Jaguars underwent a roster overhaul in the offseason, but they're still dealing with questions at a handful of positions. One of them is safety. One starting spot is earmarked for free-agent acquisition Eric Murray, but the other is up for grabs. The Jags are holding a four-way battle to determine the other, which could turn it into their most compelling position battle in training camp.
Antonio Johnson is among those players competing for the starting spot next to Murray, and he might have made a chance in the offseason that could help him separate himself from the bunch.
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Jaguars DB Antonio Johnson is demonstrably lighter in training camp
Antonio Johnson recently had a one-on-one exchange with First Coast News and said that he feels healthier and lighter than ever before. This is on par with an observation Mia O'Brien of ESPN recently made.
Back on Day 2 of Jaguars training camp, Johnson picked off quarterback NIck Mullens, and O'Brien pointed out that some of that it's due to how lighter, and faster the defensive backs look in Anthony Campanile scheme.
Last year, former Jacksonville defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen asked several players to bulk up, but it hampered their stamina on Game Day. Under Campanile, the defensive is lighter, and everyone, including Johnson, is either lighter or back at their natural weight.
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Can Antonio Johnson win the starting job for the Jaguars?
Sure, he can, but he faces steep competition. Darnell Savage has fared well and recently got praise from head coach Liam Coen. Andrew Wingard is now on his fourth Jaguars regime and always finds to way to stick around. There's also rookie Caleb Ransaw, who lost a bit of ground after suffering an injury in traing camp, but may have the biggest upside of the group.
Then again, Johnson is no slouch, and should feel good about his chances. He was projected to go in the first or second round of the 2023 draft but somehow fell to Jacksonville's lap in the fifth. Back at Texas A&M, the former Aggie was listed as a safety but showcased the versatility to line up anywhere in the backfield. With the Jags, he mostly got playing time in the slot and flashed enough that he supplanted Tre Herndon as the primary nickel.
After moving to safety in 2024, Johnson was expected to break out but instead struggled. At some point, he got bench. Then again, the defense as a whole struggled, and that falls on Nielsen. But with Nielsen now at the helm, the third-year defensive back will get another chance to prove that he deserves to start once again next season.
Will he pull it off? It's hard to tell, but being lighter should most definitely help.