What might several of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ top free agents on defense earn this offseason on their new contracts?

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently put the best free agents on defense into tiers and then predicted what their contract values might look like.

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To see Barnwell’s projections for the Jaguars‘ free agents on offense, you can find that here.

Below are Barnwell’s contract projections for Jacksonville’s free agent defenders, and then we’ll predict whether or not the Jaguars re-sign them.

LB Devin Lloyd

Among the linebackers, Lloyd was placed in Tier 2, which is titled ‘Pro Bowl-caliber starters.’ And with that, Barnwell projects that Lloyd will earn $13-18 million on his next deal.

What Barnwell had to say: “Lloyd will be a difficult evaluation for some teams. In 2024, Lloyd struggled so badly that the Jaguars really should have considered benching their 2022 first-round pick. … And then in 2025, Lloyd was a different player. Lloyd managed 1.5 sacks and 10 knockdowns as a blitzer. He wasn’t a great run defender … But Lloyd was impactful enough against the pass to earn a deserved trip to the Pro Bowl.”

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Prediction: In a perfect world, I would imagine that the Jaguars would love to have Lloyd back. However, Jacksonville faces a tight salary cap situation currently, and I expect him to earn more with a new team. Lloyd signs elsewhere.

CB Montaric Brown and CB Greg Newsome

Both Jaguars’ cornerbacks were placed in Tier 4 among their position group, titled “Borderline starters/high-end backups.” Barnwell’s price range for these two on a per-year basis is $7-13 million.

Prediction: The Jaguars should prioritize bringing back Brown, who showcased that he can be a full-time starter at cornerback last season. Newsome, however, struggled to adjust to the Jaguars’ defense on the fly, despite the thought being that he would be a natural fit for Anthony Campanile’s scheme. Brown is re-signed, Newsome heads elsewhere.

S Andrew Wingard

Among the safeties, Wingard was put in Tier 5 — “Backups likely to net guaranteed money.” Barnwell has this Tier earning $2-5 million per year.

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Prediction: Without Wingard, the Jaguars still have Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson — who impressed last season — as their starters, not to mention they drafted Caleb Ransaw and Rayuan Lane last April. Wingard signs elsewhere.

Emmanuel Ogbah, Dennis Gardeck, Dawuane Smoot

All three of these defenders were placed in the “Backups likely to earn roster spot” category, projected to earn $1-2 million per year.

Prediction: Gardeck can play at linebacker and defensive end, along with contributing on special teams. Smoot played both defensive end and defensive tackle positions. Considering the Jaguars need depth at those positions, I expect both to return, given their contributions last season. I don’t expect the same, however, for Ogbah, whose role diminished as the season progressed.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: NFL free agency: Contract projections for Jaguars top defenders