Beefing up the trenches will be a top priority for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, but they must also address other needs. Cornerback is among the positions that could use a boost. Fortunately, the Jags will have no shortage of options, but if they choose the free agency route, Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated believes there may not be a better fit than Byron Murphy.
Verdareme recently discussed the best destinations for Murphy and included Jacksonville, citing the need at the position and the team's previous aggressiveness in free agency.
"While Tyson Campbell is a good corner, there’s not much else on the depth chart, making Murphy an ideal fit.
Jacksonville has long been aggressive in free agency, for better or worse. If the Jaguars plan to spend lavishly over the coming weeks, landing Murphy to pair with Campbell would be a victory, especially in a conference loaded with top-flight quarterbacks."
A second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, Murphy signed a modest two-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 because he was coming off an injury-marred season. He proved to be a bargain, registering nine interceptions and 27 passes defensed the past two years.
Murphy would like to return to Minnesota, and the Vikings are working hard to keep him, but he may ultimately hit the open market. If he does, he'll be a highly-coveted commodity among teams in need of help at cornerback.
It's important to point out that Verderame isn't reporting news but rather stating an opinion. He's right, though. The Jags have a lockdown cornerback in Tyson Campbell, but they need another starter on the opposite side of the field. Jarrian Jones showed promise as a rookie but appears to be a better fit in the slot than the boundaries.
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Byron Murphy gives the Jaguars another option to bolster CB group
The Jaguars cornerback group is in desperate need of reinforcements. While Tyson Campbell did a commendable job when he was available in 2025, the team didn't get much production from the opposite starting spot.
Jacksonville signed Ronald Darby to replace Darious Williams, but he struggled when he was thrust into action and was benched the last four games of the season. Montaric Brown took his place in the starting lineup, but he didn't fare much better. When you take into account that the Jags don't have any other in-house options, looking for a starting cornerback in free agency or the draft seems inevitable.
Byron Murphy would most definitely make sense but will command top-market compensation. The same is true for Carlton Davis and D.J. Reed. That shouldn't be an issue if the Jaguars are willing to meet their salary demands. But if they don't, they'll have other options, albeit not nearly as good.
Trading for Jaire Alexander has been brought up given his connection to Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. Having said that, he's sat out 20 games the past two years, and if the team's brass don't think he'll be able to stay healthy, they'll turn to the second tier of free agents. If that's the case, Paulson Adebo, Nate Hobbs, or Jonathan Jones are some of the names to keep an eye on.
Conversely, Jacksonville could wait until the draft to bolster its cornerback route. If that's the path, Will Johnson, or Travis Hunter would make sense at No. 5. In Round 2, Shavon Rebel would be an intriguing prospect.
In the end, it will all depend on how the Jacksonville Jaguars want to address the cornerback position, but there's no doubt that Byron Murphy would give their secondary a boost.