The Jacksonville Jaguars surely felt like they got a steal when they took Antonio Johnson on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Expected to go late in the first or early in the second, the East Illinois native instead fell to the fifth. The fact that he showed promise as a rookie validated the Jags' decision to take a chance on him. However, he regressed last year, and the arrival of Calebe Ransaw should put him on notice.
After playing mostly in the boundaries in 2022, Ransaw lined up in the slot the last two years of his collegiate career. However, Jacksonville believes he has the tool to make the switch to safety, so that's where he'll begin his NFL career.
Moreover, Ransaw fits the kind of players the new regime is looking for: A love for the game and the willingness to take that extra step. Just recently, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall talked about how passionate he was and how much he liked to help teammates. If the Harvest, Alabama native makes a successful transition to safety, Johnson could be in trouble.
Listed as a safety at Texas A&M, Johnson showed the capability to line up anywhere in the defensive backfield, but began his rookie season at nickel. He flashed early on and progressively got better. By the end of the 2023 season, the former Aggie had supplanted Tre Herndon as the primary nickel.
Following his strong finish in 2023, Johnson was expected to make a leap in his sophomore campaign. He moved to safety to replace Rayshawn Jenkins but came crashing down. At one point, he was benched. He eventually returned to the starting lineup, but left much to be desired.
How can Caleb Ransaw affect Antonio Johnson spot on the Jaguars depth chart?
The Jaguars' safety depth chart should be fluid after the draft. The front office signed Eric Murray to a three-year deal worth $19.5 million in free agency, so he's virtually a lock to start at one safety spot. By virtue of being the incumbent, Darnell Savage could seize the other. But nothing is set in stone. With a new regime in place, everyone will have to compete for their job.
Murray and Savage could be the Day 1 starter, but nobody would bat an eye if they're phased out in favor of Caleb Ransaw. Of course, he'll first need to move up the depth chart. He'll likely start the season behind Antonio Johnson. And that's the thing: if the Jags thought the third-year safety had a clear path to the top of the depth chart, they wouldn't have drafted Ransaw or Rayuan Lane III three rounds later.
This doesn't mean that Jacksonville is throwing in the towel on Johnson but rather that he must prove that last year was an outlier rather than a sign of things to come.
It's worth noting that locker room leader Andrew Wingard and Daniel Thomas will also be in the mix, but both are better suited to take on reserve roles and contribute on special teams, so they probably won't get much consideration for a featured role.
Regardless of who starts on Day 1 of the regular season, the Jaguars added much-needed competition at safety with Caleb Ransaw. How his arrival affects the rest of the depth chart remains to be seen.