Over at Yahoo! Sports, Nate Tice is taking a very early look ahead to the 2027 NFL draft, putting together his latest mock, which includes the Jacksonville Jaguars addressing the defensive side of the ball.
With the 25th pick, Tice has the Jaguars taking Notre Dame safety Tae Johnson.
"I thought about the trenches here, and there are some intriguing names the Jags could go with on both sides (as you'll see over the next few picks)," Tice wrote. "Instead, they select the supremely talented Johnson. He has tremendous range on the backend and the playmaking ability in both the run game and as a blitzer."
Last season, Johnson proved to be a sound tackler and displayed terrific ball production, logging four interceptions and three pass breakups on only
18 targets, according to PFF.
Safety is a position that we've seen the Jaguars prioritize during GM James Gladstone's first two drafts. In 2025, he took Caleb Ransaw and Rayuan Lane, and then drafted Jalen Huskey this past April.
Unfortunately, Ransaw has dealt with injuries, while Lane has primarily been a special teams contributor, and Huskey is yet to be active in a game.
Antonio Johnson, meanwhile, is a free agent in 2027, while Eric Murraywill be entering the final year of his deal, although the Jaguars do have an out.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2027 NFL mock draft: Jaguars address secondary with first round pick
