What Will the Jaguars' Starting Defense Look Like Week 1?

Yesterday, we talked about the limitless possibilities that the Jacksonville Jaguars' offense have with the trio of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., and the newest addition of two-way phenom Travis Hunter. Today, we'll shift our focus to the growing defense.

Funny enough, Hunter is a part of this conversation as well. We've heard of two-way players in college: elite athletes such as Charles Woodson of Michigan and former Bronco legend Champ Bailey at Georgia played both DB and WR, but none compare to the extent of Hunter.

In 2024, Hunter achieved the remarkable feat of winning both the Fred Biletnikoff Award (top college receiver) and the top college defensive player in the same season. He was the first player ever to do this.

Now on the Jaguars, it'll be interesting to see how head coach Liam Coen ends up utilizing him, and if he'll even be able to withstand the increased physical pressure and competition of the NFL. He's been taking more reps at receiever in practice, but still has been on both sides of the ball.

With Hunter, the Jaguars now have an extremely formidable DB room for 2025, with two other cornerbacks landing on Pro Football Focus' Top 32 list: Tyson Campbell (27) and Jourdan Lewis (28).

PFF graded Campbell at a 62.9 while Lewis received a 71.7, both scores indicating they're above-average cornerbacks.

The only liability remains at safety, with former Green Bay Packer Darnell Savage receiving the lowest defensive score for any of Jacksonville's starters at 46.2. Still only 27 years old, Savage has the necessary tools and speed to prove the doubters wrong in 2025.

Aside from the pass-coverage, Jaguars fans also have a lot to get excited about in terms of their pass-rushers. We all know how good Josh Hines-Allen has been, but his partner in crime Travon Walker has slowly been flying under the radar while having back-to-back 10 sack seasons.

The Jaguars defense is still relatively young and have a lot of room to grow and prove themselves to be an elite group. With a restructuring of coaches plus new offseason additions, teams should be cautious when playing these 11 players.

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