From left, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, general manager James Gladstone and Tony Boselli, executive vice president of football operations, talk after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What Jaguars' Key Free Agent Addition Brings to the Defense

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars saw some encouraging signs from their defense in Week 1's victory over the Carolina Panthers, especially from their new pieces. Jourdan Lewis shone while helping to hold their opponents to just 10 points and 255 total yards. However, Lewis wasn't the only impressive addition to the Jags' secondary.

Jacksonville's new starting strong safety, Eric Murray, was also a key contributor against Carolina. His performance in the season opener earned him a top-10 grade among all safeties in the NFL from Pro Football Focus , including 12th in both running defense and coverage. He brings value outside of his on-field play, too, though, according to Head Coach Liam Coen:

"Eric’s a guy that really, when he speaks, it means something. He knows how to talk to everybody, like all walks of life he can communicate with. He’s not necessarily an overly chatty person, so when he does have comments and points to make, I think most people are really paying attention. He’s been very diligent about his preparation and ownership of the back end in terms of the communication, and then man, he played physical and opportunistic as well. I was really pleased. He had a couple things he’s got to clean up, but I’ve been very pleased with Eric.”

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars will need Eric Murray to show out in Week 2

Eric Murray had a strong start to his Jacksonville Jaguars tenure. He allowed just two catches against the Carolina Panthers, racked up seven solo tackles, and even had a quarterback pressure on Bryce Young.

However, he'll face a much tougher test in Week 2. The Jaguars are hoping to start a win streak versus the Cincinnati Bengals in their next game. To do so, they'll have to pull off an upset victory on the road, matching up with one of the most lethal offenses in the league, featuring Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase , and Tee Higgins.

Eric Murray (29) as the post safety in Cover 3 and DETONATING on a stutter-go in the seam

pic.twitter.com/olWfTjcUAl
— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) September 11, 2025

Murray will be tasked with slowing down Cincinnati's explosive passing attack while also keeping one eye on the backfield for Chase Brown and the Bengals' other running backs. Murray and Jourdan Lewis will be leading the charge for the Jaguars, per Liam Coen:

"Absolutely, those two were definitely guys that we wanted to target early in the process and have those areas of improvement that we were looking for, [and they] have showed up. They’ve showed up since they both got here. It was immediate in a lot of ways, but ultimately, your teammates and everybody are going to truly trust you and believe when you put it on tape actually, on a Sunday ball game. So, I think both of those guys making plays on Sunday only helped their cause.”

To follow along with Eric Murray's first season with the Jaguars, follow us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley.

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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