The Jacksonville Jaguars had a great regular season, but their Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills revealed they have a lot of offseason needs to attend to. Despite the extensive resources dedicated to this position group last year, a true No. 1 cornerback is still one of them.
Last October, the Jags traded cornerback Tyson Campbell and a seventh-round pick for Greg Newsome and another late-round selection. The deal's ultimate objective was to get Campbell's hefty contract off the books, but Newsome's availability gave Jacksonville a chance to double dip. Unfortunately, the sneaky gamble didn't pay off.
Cleveland's former first-round pick struggled to perform at a high level throughout his brief tenure in a teal jersey. However, there were flashes that showed Newsome had the skills to develop into a reliable starter. The Jags could opt to bring the Northwestern alum back for another try in 2026, but a variety of factors will probably prevent the team from doing so.
Greg Newsome's worst game with the Jaguars came at the absolute worst time
If the NFL is a results-based business (and it is), then Newsome's most recent game for the Jags may be the ultimate reason why he won't return in 2026.
While working against the Buffalo Bills, Newsome had an unforgivable lapse in coverage against wide receiver Brandin Cooks. The mistake left the Buffalo playmaker wide open for a game-breaking 36-yard reception. As the rest of the Wild Card battle played out, it was clear that the former Saint's big play took all the momentum away from the Jags.
Unfortunately, there were signs that Newsome wouldn't be ready to help Jacksonville's defense when the time came. During the team's overtime victory against the Arizona Cardinals, the former Brown was benched after the first quarter. This meant the coaching staff usually had to work around the corner while game planning instead of figuring out how he could be deployed as a weapon.
For what it's worth, Greg Newsome's replacement is already in the building. Travis Hunter has the potential to be an All-Pro cornerback if he focuses on mastering his craft on defense first. Also, Jourdan Lewis will return as an experienced source of aid for Anthony Campanile to rely on while the latter runs it back for another season in black and teal.
James Gladstone won't have a lot of cap room to work with while addressing the team's most pressing needs, but he can at least take an addition-by-subtraction approach when it comes to the cornerback group.