The 2025 season marks a full-blown reset for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After limping to a 4-13 finish last year, owner Shad Khan hit the reset button. They fired general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson. Their replacements? GM James Gladstone, head coach Liam Coen, and Hall of Famer Tony Boselli as executive VP of football operations. They form a trio tasked with restoring hope to a franchise long defined by underachievement.
A New Era Begins in Jacksonville
A major storyline entering camp is rookie Travis Hunter. He is the dynamic two-way talent the Jaguars aggressively moved up to draft in the first round. Sure, some outside the organization remain unconvinced. However, Jacksonville is fully committed to using Hunter on both offense and defense. During spring practices, the focus was on gradually integrating him into the offense, which coaches consider more complex than the defensive scheme.
In training camp, though, his workload has been more evenly split. His role in each game will vary based on matchups, like in Week 2 against the Bengals. That's when he'll likely be tasked with slowing down Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Internally, there’s no hesitation: the Jaguars see Hunter as a consistent, game-altering force on both sides of the ball.
Here we'll try to look at and discuss the Jacksonville Jaguars' biggest reason to panic after the start of 2025 NFL training camp.
Early Concerns Surface in the Secondary
Yes, the Hunter experiment has ignited excitement. That said, early signs in training camp suggest the Jaguars’ secondary could be their Achilles heel. Even with bright spots like veteran safety Darnell Savage shining in one-on-ones, the unit as a whole has struggled to keep pace with Jacksonville’s retooled receiving corps. During red-zone drills, cornerbacks were routinely beaten. This raises concerns about their ability to hold up in critical game situations.
To make matters worse, injuries have already started to chip away at the cornerback depth. Montaric Brown, a fourth-year player expected to be in the rotation, suffered a leg injury. He is expected to miss the remainder of training camp. The team moved quickly to address the hole, signing veteran cornerback Levi Wallace and waiving undrafted rookie Aydan White.
A Stopgap, Not a Solution
Wallace brings experience. He has started 52 games over six NFL seasons with Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Still, his recent performance raises red flags. He was cut by the Broncos late last season after being a healthy scratch against the Colts in Week 15. Once a reliable presence, Wallace now finds himself on the fringe. The Jags signed him out of necessity rather than confidence.
In Jacksonville, Wallace is not expected to compete for a starting role. Even with Brown out, the top of the depth chart remains intact with Tyson Campbell, Jourdan Lewis, Hunter, and promising rookie Jarrian Jones. Still, depth matters, especially in a division featuring passing threats like CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson. With unproven players like Zech McPhearson and DeAntre Prince rounding out the room, the Jaguars can’t afford more injuries. That’s why Wallace is here. He is by no means a savior. Rather, he's insurance.
No Timeline, No Guarantees
Coen has remained optimistic about Brown’s potential return for the regular season opener against Carolina. However, optimism won’t help if another injury occurs. Sure, Wallace offers stability. Still, his recent struggles suggest he’s more stopgap than solution. If Brown isn’t ready to go by Week 1, Jacksonville may find itself dangerously thin at corner.
Meanwhile, the secondary’s shaky performance in camp drills is not helping matters. Eric Murray’s interception of Nick Mullens on Day 11 was one of the few standout moments. Otherwise, quarterbacks picked on the secondary with alarming ease, especially near the goal line. Recall that this is a that was supposed to take a leap forward under new leadership. Now, though, the first impressions have been less than reassuring.
The Pressure Is On
There’s no denying that this is a transitional year for the Jaguars. That said, the defensive backfield issues feel like more than just growing pains. With an ambitious plan to utilize Hunter on both sides of the ball, the team is betting big on versatility and upside. Even with a player of Hunter’s caliber can’t singlehandedly patch a leaky secondary, though.
For Jacksonville to avoid another basement finish in the AFC South, their defense must hold the line. And that starts with the corners. Until Brown returns and someone beyond Savage emerges as a consistent playmaker, the secondary will remain a glaring weakness. That’s a problem no rookie phenom can solve alone.
Final Thoughts
The Jaguars are heading into a new era with bold ideas and a revamped leadership team. Travis Hunter might very well become the face of the franchise. Now, the offense looks re-energized and creatively reimagined. On the flip side, the defensive secondary looks like it’s still playing catch-up. If the first few weeks of camp are any indication, Jacksonville’s biggest reason to panic in 2025 is the same thing that’s plagued them for years: a defense that can’t close the gap.
