It just took one game for Jourdan Lewis to show Jaguars he's worth every penny

Cornerback was a big need for the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2024 season, so it wasn't particularly shocking to see them ink Jourdan Lewis in free agency. Right off the bat, he's proven to be worth every penny of the three-year, $30 million deal he signed.

There were several standouts in the 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. Tight end Brenton Strange and running back Travis Etienne took the cake on offense.

On the other hand, Lewis was arguably the best of a handful of players on defense who came through. He gave up three catches on five targets for 33 yards. On top of that, the former Michigan Wolverine had a fumble recovery, three passes defended, a quarterback hit, five total tackles, and the game-sealing interception.

Rigthly, head coach Liam Coen heaped praise on Lewis in the aftermath of the win.

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Jourdan Lewis deserves a game ball after the Jaguars' win vs. the Panthers

There's no doubt that Bryce Young struggled in the loss to the Jaguars, but that shouldn't take anything away from Jourdan Lewis. After all, he was arguably the best Jacksonville corner throughout the game. Then again, it's not particularly shocking to see him thrive after watching him thrive in the offseason program and training camp.

Back at training camp, Lewis logged a couple of interceptions like the one he had against Carolina. It's also worth noting that he's only registered more than one pick once the past five seasons, so he's in a great position to pull off the feat again in 2025.

A third-round pick in 2017, Lewis had spent eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He appeared in 115 games with 64 starts and registered 44 passes defensed, nine interceptions, and five forced fumbles.

Throughout his stint with the Boys, the Detroit, Michigan native mostly lined up in the slot, which raised questions about Jacksonville's decision to sign him, as they needed a boundary corner opposite Tyson Campbell, not a nickel.

However, general manager James Gladstone made it clear that the Jaguars were confident that Lewis could play on the perimeter, noting that they did due diligence on him before signing him.

So far, Lewis proved the Jaguars right, as he played a huge role on their their strong start to the 2025 season.

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