In 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars had one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Despite the presence of obvious talent on the roster, then-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen took that talent and ran it into the ground. Nielsen forced his players to gain weight unnecessarily, alienated them with his bad attitude, and in general, seemingly went into the 2024 season with the goal of being fired.
That wish was granted, and Nielsen was replaced by Anthony Campanile. There were expectations that the Jacksonville defense would improve, but just how well they have done so far has gone above and beyond what anyone could have expected.
The Jaguars destroyed Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, and has already proven that the defense is a unit to be feared and respected. Some players, like Foyesade Oluokun, are just as good as expected. But some new names have turned out to be rising stars, too.
Tyson Campbell and Jourdan Lewis are among the best of the best
Pro Football Focus ranked every team's cornerbacks going into Week 3, and Campbell and Lewis both appeared in the top 25. Lewis specifically landed in the top 10, coming in at #7.
Lewis was a free agent who the Jaguars signed for a whopping three-year, $30 million contract - and he's already proving that he's worth every penny. He came to Jacksonville from the Dallas Cowboys, and made it clear that he wanted to be a leader both on and off the field.
"I always wanted to be a guy people could depend and lean on in the locker room," he said ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals game. A team captain, being given that honor also further motivates him. "I'm ready to run through a wall for them because they believe in me," he said.
Then there's Campbell, a Jaguars veteran who is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season. So far, he's been successful. He is still a talented player with a lot of potential, and with Liam Coen encouraging him to embrace his physicality and let go of his doubts, it's not much of a surprise that he's been able to rebound so well.
"That's the one thing about Tyson, is when he plays with confidence and he trusts and believes in his abilities that he has," Coen said. "He can be dominant. He can be dominant; it's just continuing to have that belief that you win."
Together, these two are poised to be a lethal duo throughout the season - and already, there's talk of the two being Pro Bowlers. If they keep performing as well as they have been these past two weeks, there's no doubt they'll be considered.