JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Going into the 2025 season, many were skeptical of the Jaguars’ safety room. For a position that struggled so mightily, the Jaguars only really added Eric Murray to replace free agent Andre Cisco.
Rookie Raleb Ransaw was drafted, but it was doubtful he would make too much of an immediate impact even before his season-ending surgery.
The Jaguars’ pass defense was dreadful last season, allowing a league-leading 71 explosive pass plays to opponents’ quarterbacks.
To make matters even worse, the Jags had a fairly easy strength of schedule on defense, facing backup quarterbacks 35% of the time. Eric Murray and Andrew Wingard have put those concerns to rest, at least to start the season.
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Through two weeks, what was once thought to be one of the team’s biggest question marks has become one of its greatest strengths.
Murray and Wingard have been excellent both in coverage and in run-defense. The duo has already combined for two pass breakups and two interceptions. This is even underselling their impact as Wingard had a pick-six called back and Murray had a beautiful INT assist to Foye Oluokun in week one. As mentioned earlier, the Jaguars were torched down the field last season.
This year, it’s been a completely different story. Jacksonville is allowing an NFL rating of just 48.8 and a 20% completion rate on throws 20 or more yards downfield. Eric Murray has been somewhat of a chess piece in Anthony Campanile’s defense.
The Jaguars’ defense has featured a heavy use of Dime packages, getting several defensive backs involved in blitz packages. Murray actually is second among defensive backs with four pressures to his name. Wingard has pressure on himself as well.
If the Jaguars’ safeties can continue to help make plays on the backend of the defense and limit those big, explosive plays, this Jaguars’ defense can be good, very good.
Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and Foye Oluokun are off to hot starts and it appears the two safeties are no different. The Jaguars have themselves a couple of playmakers at safety.
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