NFL is finally catching up to what Jaguars fans knew about Antonio Johnson

The Jacksonville Jaguars exceeded expectations in 2025. Plenty of that had to do with head coach Liam Coen leading a cultural shift. It also helped that general manager James Gladstone addressed the larger scale roster. However, the Jags wouldn't have been able to win 13 games and seize the AFC South title without enough talent on both sides of the ball.

Trevor Lawrence was among the players who took their game to the next level under Coen. But he was far from the only one. In fact, several key contributors flew under the radar in spite of their performance. Safety Antonio Johnson was one of them.

Johnson was a game-changer for Jacksonville in 2025, registering five interceptions and nine passes defensed. But despite his jaw-dropping stat line, he didn't get as much widespread recognition as he deserved. That's beginning to change, and a recent list is proof of it.

Antonio Johnson is among the most underrated Jaguars players

Gennaro Filice of NFL Media drew up a list of the most underrated players for each NFL team. For the Jaguars, he had several enticing options but ultimately went with Antonio Johnson, poiting out that Parker Washington also earned consideration but still got the spotlight because of his Fantasy Football value.

"Ultimately, though, I narrowed the decision down to a choice between a pair of Day 3 steals from the 2023 NFL Draft: S Antonio Johnson and WR Parker Washington," Filice wrote. "Both broke out in Year 3, but in a fantasy football world, Washington's contributions drew far more notice. Thus, Johnson is the pick. The versatile defensive back tied for second in the NFL with five interceptions -- a striking total, considering he didn't start a game until November. "

As Filice noted, Washington is generating plenty of hype across the league and fantasy circles after his banner 2025. However, Johnson is flying under the radar despite the fact that he earned the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade among safeties who played at least 100 defensive snaps.

Projected to go late in the first or early in the second round in the 2023 draft, Johnson somehow slid to Round 5. That didn't matter, though, as he went on to make an impact in the slot that year, registering two interceptions and one forced fumble.

Johnson showed enough progress in 2023 that he switched back to his more familiar safety spot. However, he struggled and was eventually benched. That led the former Texas A&M Aggie to compete for a starting job last offseason. He lost but was thrust into action when injuries hit the Jacksonville back end.

To nobody's surprise, Johnson made the most of his chances and went on to have a banner season. Now, he enters the offseason program as the favorite to start at one safety spot. However, the St. Louis, Illinois native will have to fend off sophomore Caleb Ransaw.

The Jaguars have a game-changer in Antonio Johnson

Antonio Johnson should have no trouble holding off Caleb Ransaw. If anything, fellow safety Eric Murray could be more vulnerable to losing his job. And precisely because Johnson is expected to build off his impressive 2025, this could be his last season in Duval.

While there's been plenty of buzz about the Jaguars extending wide receiver Parker Washington and tight end Brenton Strange, there's no such chatter about Johnson, so even though he's become a mainstay of the Jacksonville secondary, there's a realistic chance he could bolt next year.

The fact that the Jags have used back-to-back Round 3 picks on Caleb Ransaw and Jalen Husky may be another sign that they're ready to let Johnson walk.

The bottom line is that if Antonio Johnson has another banner year, he'll no longer fly under the radar. The downside is that the Jaguars may not be able to retain him in 2027.

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