Best Off-Season Decisions of '25 NFC Opponents Jaguars Must Counter

For the Jacksonville Jaguars to realize success in 2025 or beyond, they have to start beating teams that they traditionally have struggled with. It's been well-documented how poorly the Jaguars have played against the NFC, and in 2025, Trevor Lawrence, Josh-Hines Alenn, and the franchise will face five from the other conference.

In a recent submission from PFF, Every NFC team's best offseason decision Writer Dalton Wasserman listed all of the best choices made over the over the past five-to-six months, including those made by the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Arizona Cardinals, the five that make up Head Coach Liam Coen's NFC foes to plan for.

In Week 1, the only NFC entry that the Jags historically have a decent record against is the Carolina Panthers, and that is merely 4-4. But when they open the season in Duval, the secondary will have to face a possible gamebreaker in Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona in the first round.

"McMillan earned an elite 90.9 PFF receiving grade over the past two seasons. He should be the perfect vertical threat for Bryce Young to continue his excellent play from last season. Selecting McMillan in the first round also allowed Carolina to dig into the defensive depth of the draft class later on. The Panthers had an excellent offseason, built on their selection of McMillan with the eighth-overall pick."

Santa Clara will be the scene in Week 4 of a grueling task of RBs Trevor Etienne, Tank Bigsby, and two rookies trying to run the ball against the 49ers. San Francisco may have fixed their run-stopping woes by addressing the defensive line.

"San Francisco’s biggest defensive flaw in 2024 was its porous run defense. The team's 28th-ranked PFF run-defense grade marked its worst placement in that category since 2016. The 49ers responded by reuniting with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and acquiring multiple run stuffers in the draft."

"Edge defender Mykel Williams earned an excellent 86.6 PFF run-defense grade across his three seasons at Georgia. Alfred Collins and CJ West both ranked among the top 20 FBS defensive tackles in PFF run-defense grade in 2024. Those three, along with Nick Bosa, will be the new foundation of the 49ers’ run defense up front."

Seattle lost so much on offense, but they won't be a pushover when they visit Northern Florida in Week 6 due to the hiring of Klint Kubiak and his beautiful offensive mind as the team's new OC.

"Seattle’s offseason was defined by the stalwarts who departed for other teams. However, the Seahawks could still have hope for offensive success behind new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

"Kubiak, a Shanahan disciple, did a nice job of creating offense for New Orleans last season when he had a viable quarterback. He was also the quarterbacks coach in San Francisco in 2023, which gives him some level of familiarity with Sam Darnold. If Kubiak can find enough functional offensive linemen in Seattle, he could be one of the NFL’s best coordinator hires of this cycle."

The extra home game is in a place that's not, but sure feels like it. Week 7 is when the Rams come calling at Jacksonville's other venue, Wembley Stadium in London. Los Angeles is hoping to bring their phenomenal guardian at Matt Stafford's gate, Alaric Jackson, who re-signed this Spring.

"Alaric Jackson’s status for this season is suddenly up in the air due to a blood clot issue. Despite those concerns, which formed well after he signed his new contract, retaining Jackson was the correct move."

"Jackson earned a 79.2 PFF pass-blocking grade last season that easily led the team and ranked 22nd among all qualified tackles. Pass protection will be the key to the Rams’ championship hopes this season. Re-signing Jackson, and hoping he is healthy enough to play significant snaps, is the most crucial decision Los Angeles made to assure championship contention."

The Cardinals needed help at defensive back, and they didn't have to do it in the first round. When Will Johnson had his freefall during the selection process, Arizona swooped in during Round 2 to fill a glaring need with a guy graded as a first-rounder. Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter, and co. will find it hard to get open with Johnson lurking in Week 12.

"The Cardinals used most of their offseason resources to bolster their defensive line. However, they also needed to shore up their outside cornerback group and were presented with a perfect opportunity to improve that spot in the second round of the draft."

"Michigan’s Will Johnson was still available in round two due to injury questions. He was a top-15 talent who earned a 91.3 PFF coverage grade during his three seasons in Ann Arbor. If Johnson lives up to his true talent level, he could change the complexion of Jonathan Gannon’s defense."

These decisions will be ones that the Jacksonville Jaguars will have to contend with in 2025. But if they find a way not to let them be a winning factor, games can be stolen, and "Duval's Finest" will be closer to earning that moniker.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE