Jaguars Face an Alarming Defensive Issue Heading Into 2025

"Jacksonville carried the league’s lowest-graded safety unit in 2024 and lost arguably the best player,Andre Cisco, from that group via free agency. Darnell Savage and Antonio Johnson remain as options, though both graded poorly last season. Veteran Eric Murray was brought in from Houston, but he hasn’t graded above 65.1 in any of the past six seasons. The team may view third-round pick Caleb Ransaw as a potential future starter, but he played mostly in the slot at Tulane," Wasserman said.

The Jaguars need every player currently on the roster to improve their performance. They also need some of their newly added draft picks to step up to the plate sooner rather than later. If the Jaguars could get decent production from Ransaw, that would go a long way.

According to Daniel Harms of the Draft Network, Ransaw split "his time between in-the-box and nickel alignments, Ransaw plays a physical brand of football that allows him to fill adequately against the run. As a force defender, he’s willing to take on blocks and pullers to give linebackers and corners holes to fill while maintaining outside leverage and forcing the ball-carrier back inside. He can shed blocks fairly well against tight ends and wide receivers and reacts quickly to run plays. He’s a sure-tackling defender with a quick trigger downhill to engage outside runs and receiver screens who isn’t afraid to rush between the tackles and stand up offensive lineman if he has to.

"In coverage, Tulane had Ransaw rotate from the nickel position to a two-high safety look occasionally, and he’s a good reactive zone player. He keeps his head on a swivel, looking from receivers to the quarterback, and adjusts his depth when needed. He keeps with his responsibility well and has a good, smooth backpedal to stay square against receivers. Ransaw projects better in man coverage against tight ends who don’t have quick lateral agility where he can be more physical through the route stem. He has better ball skills than his production suggests, as he attacks the catch point well with good length. He didn’t allow much receiving production when targeted, showcasing good route recognition, burst to close space, and reacting quickly to quarterback queues."

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