Upgrading the pass rush and the boundary cornerback spot opposite Travis Hunter should be the Jacksonville Jaguars' main offseason priorities for improving their defense. I say that under the assumption that they keep All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd. However, the Jags' safety group could use some help as well.
Antonio Johnson was a pleasant surprise in 2025, but the Jags don't have many other starting-caliber players at the position. Caleb Ransaw missed his entire rookie season, and Eric Murray just turned 32. They're the main contenders to start alongside Johnson in 2026 right now.
Is the plan to hope Navy product and 2025 sixth-round pick Rayuan Lane III steps up? Pretty sure Jacksonville could use a good free-agent investment. And there appears to be a strong candidate.
'The Ringer' names Jaguars as Cardinals safety's best landing spot in free agency
To be fair, Austin Gayle has some pretty out-of-pocket (as the kids say) NFL predictions. As the site expert for the Cincinnati Bengals, it eludes my mental capacity as to how two boundary cornerbacks in Nashon Wright and Jamel Dean are best suited for the Bengals, per this Gayle article from The Ringer, who have two plenty capable starters at those spots in DJ Turner and Dax Hill.
But I will agree with Gayle when it comes to the Jaguars and their prospective pursuit of Arizona Cardinals standout Jalen Thompson. Here's his write-up on one of the NFL's most unheralded defenders:
"Thompson is a reliable, versatile safety with over 900 snaps played in each of the past five seasons with the Cardinals. He doesn’t have a ton of ball production, but he’s a sound tackler and disciplined in coverage regardless of alignment and assignment. He’s best suited for a zone-heavy defense that moves him around."
Budda Baker is one of the only players from the Cardinals roster casual fans can name nowadays. That's resulted in Thompson being overshadowed to a large degree, but he's a fine safety in his own right.
As tracked by PFF, Thompson's snap count in 2025 was as follows: 389 at deep safety, 320 as a box safety, and 249 at slot cornerback. The latter spot isn't a big need in Jacksonville. Still, it's undeniable that Thompson would be a major improvement over any of the Jags' under-contract incumbents.
If Johnson can build on his breakout year, where he ranked as PFF's No. 1 safety, and Thompson can enter the fray as a stellar complementary starter, Jacksonville's secondary will be cooking with gas.
Travis Hunter's move to boundary cornerback should lock down one half of the field as is. Imagine what another savvy safety could do for defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile's scheme.
Thompson is plenty capable in coverage, especially if Hunter and Johnson were to complement him in that department. However, he really makes his hay as a run defender, with a career missed tackle rate of just 7.1%. That'd fit in very nicely in Duval County and only serve to enhance the Jags' reigning NFL-best run defense.