The Jacksonville Jaguars did a good job of addressing the larger scale roster in 2025. However, they'll need to fortify several position groups in the offseason if they want to return to the playoffs next year. Corneback is among the team's biggest needs, but it's far from the only one.
The offense mostly needs depth but is otherwise in good shape. The defense, on the other hand, could use reinforcements at all three levels, not just cornerback. Their pass rush, in particular, is in dire need of upgrades.
Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are fine, but the Jaguars must fortify the pass rush
Josh Allen had no trouble torching the Jags secondary, going 28-of-35 for 273 yards with one touchdown. One big reason is that Jacksonville was unable to bring the heat.
The Jaguars have a pair of productive pass rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. Both of them played well against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, registering a combined seven total pressures and one sack. However, neither made a game-altering play that tipped the scales in Jacksonville's favor. The rest of the rotation wasn't much better.
Danny Striggow only had 10 snaps against Buffalo. He could turn out to be a solid contributor down the road, but betting on him or fellow undrafted free agent B.J. Green II to make a huge leap in 2026 would be malpractice. Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot are also in the mix, but both of them are free agents, and neither did enough last year to warrant a new deal.
Couple that with the fact that Walker is entering a contract year, and Jacksonville must bolster the pass rush in the offseason.
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Why the Jaguars need to fortify the pass rush
Ideally, the Jaguars would bring in a No. 3 pass rusher, but they're currently $7.6 million over the cap. Even if they free up space, it's hard to see them taking a big swing in free agency or making a trade for someone like Maxx Crosby. Sure, you can never say never, but the team's brass will probably turn to the draft to add reinforcements at both defensive tackle and defensive end.
With a better rotation in the trenches, Jacksonville will take some pressure off its cornerbacks. And tha'ts the thing, Jarrian Jones and Greg Newsome, along with defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, deserve criticism for struggling against the Bills, but they might've fared much better if Jacksonville was able to bring in the heat.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars showed massive improvement under the new regime, but if they want to get over the hump, upgrading the pass rush must be a top priority on their offseason list.