ClutchPoints
With training camp just around the corner, the Jacksonville Jaguars still have one glaring void that needs to be addressed. It could make the difference between another middling campaign and a legitimate playoff push. Note that the Jaguars have flirted with postseason relevance in recent years. Inconsistency on the defensive end, however, continues to hold them back. After a somewhat quiet offseason and a splashy but risky draft play, there’s one move left that could tie it all together.
The Jaguars didn’t have the most impressive foray into free agency. They largely added mid-level players to replace departed ones and lost a terrific pass-catching tight end in Evan Engram. It was a conservative approach that left many fans underwhelmed and analysts scratching their heads.
Jacksonville made things much more interesting during the draft, though. New general manager James Gladstone made an aggressive play to go up and get wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter with the second overall pick. Sure, Gladstone parted with a second-round pick and a 2026 first-rounder to get Hunter. Still, he may, potentially, fill holes at both corner and receiver with the move. He also sent a message to the fanbase that the new regime will take bold steps to improve the roster whenever possible.
We’ll have to wait and see if Hunter lives up to the hype. Right now, though, he should boost Trevor Lawrence’s receiving corps immediately. New head coach Liam Coen, who helped coax a Pro Bowl campaign out of Baker Mayfield in 2024, should also help Lawrence improve.
This was the right approach by the Jaguars. Recall that they drafted Lawrence first overall in 2021 but have yet to see him play up to his draft status. The Clemson product made the Pro Bowl in his second season. However, he’s been decidedly average and has battled injuries in the two years since.
Here we’ll try to look at the perfect Jacksonville Jaguars move to fill out their roster before the 2025 training camp.
The Jaguars’ defense in 2024 left a lot to be desired, particularly in the secondary. Jacksonville surrendered the most passing yards of any team in the NFL and logged the third-fewest interceptions. They had just six all year. Yes, they did make some moves to address the unit, signing Eric Murray and Darnell Savage. That said, neither brings the kind of ball-hawking ability or consistency this team desperately needs.
Murray, for all his experience, has just three interceptions across nine seasons. Savage has only two interceptions over the past three years. These are not the stats you want to see from players counted on to secure the back end of your defense. This is where Julian Blackmon comes in.
Blackmon has quietly emerged as one of the NFL’s most versatile and productive safeties over the past two seasons. After a rocky start to his career plagued by injuries, he has turned the...
