The Jacksonville Jaguars did a good job of addressing needs and raising the roster floor the past few months. That said, they could still add reinforcements to a handful of position groups. Jonathan Macri of Pro Football Focus believes safety is the one that requires the most attention.
Macri drew up a list of every team's biggest remaining need after the draft and picked safety for the Jags, citing their subpar play at the position last year.
"The Jaguars struggled at safety in 2024 with Andre Cisco and Darnell Savage. Cisco left in free agency, but Savage, who recorded a 46.2 PFF overall grade this past season, remains. He is now joined by Eric Murray, who earned a 63.7 PFF overall grade with the Texans. Can Jacksonville get better top-end play from that group, which now includes Antonio Johnson and rookie Caleb Ransaw?"
While it's true that the group as a whole struggled last year, the front office made several additions to the position last year.
Eri Murray signed a three-year deal worth $19 million. Although he isn't flashy, he won't give up many big plays, something Jacksonville failed to do last season. On top of that, they drafted Caleb Ransaw and Rayuan Lane III.
Murray will tentatively start next to Darnell Savage in the opener. As the season progresses, maybe Ransaw could see playing time. The same is true for Antonio Johnson, who's coming off an underwhelming campaign but flashed, albeit at nickel, the year prior.
It's also worth noting that Savage wasn't nearly as bad as his PFF grade suggests. His performance was brought down by inadequate coaching and the overall inadequacies of the secondary. Then again, nobody would bat an eye if either Ransaw or Johnson gets ahead of him on the depth chart.
Andrew Wingard and Daniel Thomas are also in the mix, but both of them mainly contribute on special teams and are better suited for reserve roles. In fact, it wouldn't be shocking if one of them fails to crack the initial 53-man roster.
Safety won't be a need for the Jaguars if Caleb Ransaw and Antonio Johnson step up
After releasing Gabe Davis, the Jaguars have around $27 million in cap space. That could be more than enough to add a veteran who can come in and contribute right off the bat. Marcus Williams, Justin Simmons, Rayshawn Jenkins, Jordan Whitehead, and Julian Blackmon remain unsigned. Then again, there's a reason all of them are still available. For some of them, their best days are behind them, while others have dealt with injuries.
Either way, the Jags will probably see what their in-house options can do before bringing in veteran help. And that's the thing, even though they didn't make a splash addition at safety, they did pour significant resources into the position.
Johnson flashed potential and could bounce back with better coaching. On the other high, the team's brass is high on Ransaw, who mostly played cornerback at Tulane but is believed to have the attributes to successfully make the transition to safety. Given that there's a new regime in place, everyone will get a fresh start and be on equal footing. That could pave the way for Johnson and Ransaw to unseat Savage and Murray.
The bottom line is that safety is a question mark, but to necessarily a need. If the current group fails to come through in 2025, the Jacksonville Jaguars can then prioritize the position next year.