Jaguars Defense Has Identified a Young Rising Star

The Jacksonville Jaguars' defense is rife with playmakers, and another one is emerging in front of their eyes.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile looks on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Seahawks defeated the Jaguars 20-12. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars' defense has surprisingly been a strong point for this team throughout the 2025 NFL season. It's not always consistent or pretty, but this unit has repeatedly gotten the job done for Head Coach Liam Coen and Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile.

Through 13 games, the Jaguars are 11th in yards allowed per game and 10th in average scoring.

Coming into the season, Jacksonville was expected to lead with its offense under the tutelage and ingenuity of Coen. The Jaguars have taken some significant steps forward on that side of the ball, but the defense has been consistently exceeding expectations. The best part is that it's only getting better down the stretch, led by the emergence of rising players like Jarrian Jones.

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones (22) celebrates the win after the game of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Colts 36-19. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jarrian Jones has paid off for the Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars took Jarrian Jones out of Florida State in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He had some encouraging moments as a rookie, but struggled to separate himself from the Jaguars' tragic overall defense last season.

Jacksonville's new regime took significant steps to upgrade the secondary this past offseason, adding five defensive backs between the draft and free agency, including some high-profile talent like Travis Hunter Jr., Jourdan Lewis, and Eric Murray.

One thing that this administration, led by General Manager James Gladstone, has shown is that it's unafraid to cut ties with disappointing talent. Just this year, they've parted ways with De'Antre Prince, Darnell Savage, and Tyson Campbell, all DBs who were underperforming for this team

. It seemed like Jarrian Jones might have been on that track, too, but he's stepped up in a big way, showing why the Jaguars were right to keep him on. Jacksonville's newest cornerback, Greg Newsome II, spoke on what he's seen from his young teammate:

Jarrian Jones been playing well pic.twitter.com/PZuzWkJ2VP

— whirlybird (@HashTaguars) November 18, 2025

"Yeah, he’s a baller. I've been watching him last year when he was here. I think he's the most underrated guy in the NFL. He can tackle, he can cover, he can blitz, he can play inside, he can play outside. That's something I had to do in my career, and that's not an easy job to do, so I think he's a hell of a player and I think he's the most underrated corner in the NFL.”

Jones' play this season has earned him a 76.5 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, sixth out of 109 corners. In coverage, he's graded at 75.7, 10th at his position. Doing so while splitting snaps out wide and in the slot is an incredible feat. His emergence has made a secondary that was expected to be a weakness for the Jaguars into a foundational strength of their defense.

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