After finishing 4-13 in 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars spent the offseason making upgrades to the roster. Their work paid off, as they went on to win the AFC South and make the playoffs. But as improved as the Jags were, they still had a handful of glaring flaws. And they were exposed in the loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round.
While the Bills didn't truly have a game-changer at receiver, they didn't have to. Josh Allen put the team on his shoulders and had a nearly flawless performance, going 28-of-35 for 273 yards with one touchdown.
The Jacksonville secondary had no answer for the reigning MVP and was one of the main reasons Buffalo came out on top. In particular, the corner play left much to be desired, so the team's brass will need to fortify the position if they don't want it to become an issue in 2026.
Jarrian Jones and Greg Newsome failed to come through for the Jaguars
After an underwhelming start to the season, Jarrian Jones showed notable improvement to finish the year. That's why it was a bit surprising to see him struggle so much against the Bills. The former Florida Seminole allowed seven receptions on eight targets for 78 yards.
The good news is that Jourdan Lewis should be back at full strength by the opener. He signed with Jacksonville in free agency. The 2017 seventh-round pick was the primary nickel in the season but underwent season-ending foot surgery. Once he's back, he'll return to the starting lineup, and Jones will take on a reserve role.
But Jones wasn't the only Jaguars corner who got torched in the Bills game. Greg Newsome surrendered a perfect six passes on six targets for 74 yards with one touchdown. The front office traded for the former Northwestern Wildcat at the deadline because they believed he was a better fit in Anthony Campanile's scheme than Tyson Campbell. But it hasn't been the case.
The issue is that it wasn't a one-time blunder. Newsome has routinely left much to be desired since landing in Duval. You can even make the case that he never truly found his footing. Now, the 2021 first-round pick is slated to become a free agent, and it's hard to see general manager James Gladstone making a strong push to bring him back.
Couple that with the fact that Montaric Brown is also scheduled to hit the open market, and the Jaguars will probably need to allocate significant resources to their cornerback group.
Related: 5 players who definitely won't return to Jacksonville in 2026
The Jaguars could have a Montaric Brown conundrum
You could argue that Travis Hunter will be back, and you're right. He was playing pretty well before he underwent knee surgery. Having him back will be huge. The trouble is precisely that his absence exposed the team's glaring need at corner, and if Jacksonville wants to avoid getting toast again, the front office will need to bring in reinforcements.
For the sake of the argument, let's say that the Jags retain Montaric Brown. Hunter and Lewis will return from injuries. That's their starting trio, with Jarrian Jones becoming the main reserve. It wouldn't hurt to use a mid-round pick and another one on Day 3 to increase the position's floor.
On the other hand, if Brown leaves, Jacksonville must prioritize the position in free agency, targeting a bargain free agent and later using an early-round pick, maybe a second, would be reasonably and arguably the best course of action.
The bottom line is that the Jags took care of the larger scale roster last year, but if they want to get over the hump in 2026, they need to continue to make upgrades, and cornerback should be among their top priorities.