Jaguars defense: NFL's 2025 top run defense must improve pass defense

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it to the regular season.

The team will soon take the field in a game that matters for the first time since their playoff exit against the Buffalo Bills in January.

After enduring an offseason program, 20 training camp practices with four total joint practice sessions and three preseason games, the team finally has the chance to compete in a capacity that’ll be recorded.

The Jaguars didn’t make many moves in the offseason, opting to re-sign several of their players rather than bringing in players outside of the building in free agency. They drafted 10 players and signed 18 undrafted free agents to their roster during the offseason.

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Head coach Liam Coen is back for his second season, retaining offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile after both coaches had interviews to be head coaches this offseason.

The team trimmed its roster to 53 players at the conclusion of training camp and are now squarely focused on the upcoming season.

For Campanile’s defense, they are ready to build on success from last season.

What is the biggest question facing the Jaguars’ defense?

The Jaguars boasted the top run defense in the NFL in 2025. While a major question will be, "can they repeat their efforts as run stoppers?", an even bigger question is, "can they improve their pass defense?"

The team had 22 interceptions last season but ranked 21st in pass defense. A big part of that was the injury issues and rotating door that seemingly kept revolving throughout the season.

They started the season with Montaric Brown recovering from a foot injury he suffered on the first day of training camp. Then, the team swapped Tyson Campbell for Greg Newsome ahead of the trade deadline. Starting safety Eric Murray was placed on the injured reserve list during the season, missing several games. Then Jourdan Lewis and Travis Hunter suffered season-ending injuries in the second half of the year.

The issue in their secondary was one of the major areas the team wanted to address this offseason. They hired Mat Araujo to be the defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach, switched Hunter’s reps to mostly defensive, re-signed Brown to a contract extension and experimented with Jarrian Jones in multiple positions.

“We’re the fire department,” Araujo told the Times-Union during training camp. “It doesn’t matter how the fire started, we’re getting called in. We’ve got to go and put it out.”

Eric Murray is the elder-most player in the secondary, but don’t think that means he’s unable to play. He opened the first competitive period of training camp by flying to the sideline to intercept Trevor Lawrence. He’ll be joined at safety by Antonio Johnson, a player in a contract year who’s going into his first season as a surefire starter. He didn’t play like it through camp, coming up with several takeaways and showing off experience beyond his years.

Hunter spent nine months sidelined as he recovered from the non-contact LCL injury that ended his season. He watched and waited from the sidelines for the duration of the offseason program to get his opportunity on the field. Once active, the Jaguars increased his defensive reps during training camp to allow him time to take root in Campanile’s system.

He’s projected to be a Week 1 starter at defensive back, getting reps on offense less frequently as he contributes more on defense. Across from him will be Brown, who embraced the role of the team’s top cornerback this offseason.

“The cool thing is he still had so much from a technique standpoint that he could improve on,” Araujo said of Brown. “This offseason we broke it all down and started building it back up.”

Lewis and Jones are likely to split time at the nickel position. Jones’ versatility is going to make it hard for him not to see the field. He’s a player who can line up anywhere for the Jaguars on defense, literally.

Early INT for Jaguars CB Jarrian Jones!

JAXvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/n2xVELd7i8

— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025

In joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he stood over the center as if he was about to blitz like a linebacker and bailed when the ball was snapped to cover a player. It’s a versatility that’ll come in handy as the team tries to confuse opposing offenses.

“He came here not having a base knowledge of zones and playing inside and outside, and now, he plays every position,” Araujo said of Jones. “The amount of work he’s put in to do that just speaks to his character, speaks to his work ethic. Then, not only can he play those positions, but he excels at each one.”

That versatility will show up across the defense, but especially on obvious passing downs when the team implements its dime personnel with six defensive backs on the field. Sometimes it’ll be four defensive backs joining the two safeties. Sometimes it’ll be an even split of three safeties and three corners.

In either case, the team will have the speed to track pass catchers which should result in better pass defense this season.

Who is the most important player on the Jaguars’ defense?

Jacksonville’s defense has gone how Josh Hines-Allen has for years. When he has up seasons, the team typically follows suit. In seasons where he struggles, the trend is the same for the team.

The captain, all-time sack leader, future Pride of the Jaguars member, has been the most important player on the defense for years.

That mantle will be passed this season to pass rushing partner Travon Walker.

Walker is coming off a season that saw him suffer multiple injuries, diminishing his play as he battled through issues with his wrist and knee. He didn’t have full mobility of his wrist after dislocating it early in the season, sapping his power as he played with a bulky cast to protect it after having surgery on it.

He missed time due to a knee injury, wearing a brace over it when he returned to action which stole some of his speed. It was the most challenging season for him as a pro, but he’s back healthy and ready to be a key player for the team.

“Tra looks good. I say this to you guys a lot, but he's a special guy for us,” Campanile said. “He's an important guy for us because he enables us to do a bunch of different things without subbing different personnel groupings on the field.”

The team is finally embracing Walker’s versatility and will move him around the defensive line this season. He’ll have the chance to play inside, outside and potentially standing up as the Jaguars attack opposing offenses with a chess piece.

That means he’ll get to play next to Hines-Allen, which will be a handful for offensive lines on obvious passing downs. He’ll team up with DaVon Hamilton, stifling running attacks as they turn into a brick wall.

He’ll open the door for the team to use different packages of players that they might not have been able to without his versatility. They can use pass rushers BJ Green and Dennis Gardeck off the edge, while Walker kicks inside to rush from the interior.

“It’s nothing new, to be honest. Ever since I been in high school, I’ve always been the type of player where I never just played one position,” Walker said. “Then I got to the NFL, I did a little bit more of a developing experience, just having to play one thing.

“Which, at the time, that was helpful because it just kind of helped with my knowledge of the game and that specific position. Now, it’s just fluent.”

Travon Walker lined up at 3T I have tears in my eyes pic.twitter.com/iQqjijoEIa

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) August 11, 2024

Previous regimes and coaching staffs have flirted with the idea of moving Walker around, but they never fully committed to it for one reason or another. Campanile is embracing the opportunity for him to help the team in that way.

It’s a safe bet to say Walker will be the most important player on Jacksonville’s defense. Campanile basically said it himself.

“He is super important to our defense, and he's just, he's pretty driven right now in terms of what I see from him,” the second-year defensive coordinator said. “He had a great offseason, and he's grinding. He's working his ass off right now.”

Projected starting unit for Jacksonville Jaguars on defense

Josh Hines-Allen (edge), Arik Armstead (defensive tackle), DaVon Hamilton (defensive tackle), Foye Oluokun (linebacker), Ventrell Miller (linebacker), Buster Brown (cornerback), Jourdan Lewis/Jarrian Jones (cornerback), Eric Murray (safety), Antonio Johnson (safety), Travis Hunter (cornerback).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars defense: NFL's 2025 top run defense must improve pass defense