The Jacksonville Jaguars went from having one of the worst defenses in 2024 to fielding a top-10 unit last year. Anthony Campanile was a huge reason for the turnaround. Heck, his work in his first season as a defensive coordinator earned him head-coaching interviews in the latest hiring cycle.
Some of Campanile's success stemmed from the fact that he was able to get the most out of players who had previously underachieved. Linebacker Devin Lloyd probably stands out the most, but he wasn't the only Jaguars defender who put it all together last year.
Antonio Johnson also had a banner season under Campanile, and he's reaping the benefits of his improved performance.
Jaguars DB Antonio Johnson benefited from the NFL's performance-based pay
The NFL announced the distribution of the performance-based pay for 2025. The biggest beneficiaries were New York Jets cornerback Nahshon Wright ($1.4 million), Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman ($1.3 million), and Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson
Antonio Johnson didn't make the top 15 but also got a nice raise, earning a team-high $1.065 million. This doesn't come as a surprise when you take into account that he was one of the most productive safeties in 2025, registering a team-best five interceptions while giving up just one receiving touchdown.
In fact, Johnson's Pro Football Focus overall grade of 86.9 was the best among qualifying safeties last year, and his missed tackle rate of 4.8 percent was the fifth-lowest in the league. That led Thomas Valentine to call him the most improved safety from 2025.
A fifth-round pick in 2023, Johnson flashed big-play capability as a rookie, supplanting Tre Herndon at nickel. He switched to safety the following year with the expectation that he was going to be even better at his natural position. However, the East St. Louis, Illinois struggled and was even benched in favor of Darnell Savage.
Johnson got a clean slate under the new regime in 2025. He competed for the starting job next to Eric Murray but lost to Andrew Wingard. Nevertheless, the former Texas A&M Aggie saw ample playing time and made the most out of it, making several game-altering plays while allowing just 8.8 yards per reception.
With Wingard now out of the picture, Johnson should be able to pick up where he left off last year.
The Jaguars need to make Antonio Johnson a fixture of the defense for years to come
Back in 2023, Antonio Johnson was projected to go late in the first round or early in the second. He's shown why during his stint with the Jaguars. Now, the team's brass must decide what to do with him.
Johnson is entering a contract year, and it would make sense for the Jags to sign him to a long-term deal before his stock keeps going up. And that's the thing, he keeps playing the way he did in 2025, his value will only increase.
Then again, if Antonio Johnson has yet another banner season, the Jaguars probably won't mind giving him a huge raise to ensure he sticks around for years to come.