Following free agency and the NFL draft, Pro Football Focus selected the biggest remaining needs for all 32 NFL teams. So, what position did Trevor Sikkema select for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Sikkema would go a bit off-script with this pick, in my opinion, selecting the safety position for the Jaguars.
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“The Jaguars struggled at safety in 2024 with Andre Cisco and Darnell Savage,” wrote Sikkema. “Cisco left in free agency, but Savage, who recorded a 46.2 PFF overall grade this past season, remains. He is now joined by Eric Murray, who earned a 63.7 PFF overall grade with the Texans. Can Jacksonville get better top-end play from that group, which now includes Antonio Johnson and rookie Caleb Ransaw?”
Among the secondary issues that the Jaguars had in 2024, big plays were a massive problem. The Jaguars allowed 22 plays of 30-plus yards and eight receptions of 50 or more yards, according to ESPN.
So improved play is certainly needed here, but it’s not as if the Jaguars haven’t added to this room either. In free agency, they signed Eric Murray and then drafted Caleb Ransaw in the top 100.
We know that Murray will slot in as one of the starters, while there is going to be competition between Ransaw, Darnell Savage, and Antonio Johnson for the other starting spot.
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So are there still some unknowns here? I think that’s fair to say. But is it the biggest need the Jaguars still have? Well, safety wouldn’t have been my pick. For me, I would have chosen the defensive line.
This was a group that ranked 32nd in ESPN’s pass rush win rate and 27th in run stop rate in 2024, but unlike safety, no outside additions were made at the defensive tackle spot.
Now, under new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, we are going to see a new scheme, and GM James Gladstone hinted at some of the up-front defenders being moved around, all of which helps get improved play out of this unit. However, until we see otherwise, uncertainty will linger, especially when banking heavily on internal growth.
“We certainly look forward to seeing guys being in different positions than they’ve been in the past and that being an element that activates different sides of them,” Gladstone said. “Their whole approach has been great so far, so we’re looking forward to it.”
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jacksonville Jaguars roster: Biggest position of need