Jaguars Rookie Invited to Pentagon as Special Guest

The Jacksonville Jaguars' 6th-round selection visited with the Secretary of Defense on Wednesday.

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayuan Lane III (25) hauls in a pass during drills during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During his typical day, United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth meets a lot of interesting people, in a lot of interesting meetings. But before Thursday, Hegseth had never thrown a football on the steps of the Pentagon.

He can thank Rayuan Lane, the Jaguars’ sixth-round selection in April’s NFL Draft. Lane and his family were Hegseth’s guests in the Washington D.C.-area this week. They received a personal tour of the iconic building and Lane signed autographs for Pentagon personnel.

“Before joining the @NFL,” the Department of Defense Office of Community Engagement said in a tweet, “Lane chose a path of service, commissioning as an @USMC officer after graduating from the @NavalAcademy. His dedication to our nation exemplifies the commitment and leadership that define our military.”

.@Jaguars player, Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Rayuan Lane III, visited the Pentagon with his family yesterday, hosted by @SecDef Pete Hegseth.

Before joining the @NFL, Lane chose a path of service, commissioning as an @USMC officer after graduating from the @NavalAcademy. His… pic.twitter.com/yeTYPW8aJc

— DoD Office of Community Engagement (@DoD_Outreach) July 3, 2025

Less than a month after Jacksonville drafted him, Lane graduated from the Naval Academy on May 23 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps reserves.

A four-year starter for Navy’s football program, he majored in quantitative economics. The first Navy player invited to the scouting combine since 2019, he was the first defensive back ever drafted from the program.

Lane finished his career on a streak of 43 consecutive starts in the defensive secondary for Navy, the only Division I program to offer him a scholarship out of high school. He had zero stars next to his name partly because he didn’t play his sophomore year, thinking his future was in basketball.

So, don’t doubt Lane’s ability to overcome adversity. He enters training camp without a guaranteed spot on the roster but his special-teams prowess could be his track to solidifying his job when Jacksonville breaks the preseason.

General manager James Gladstone said the scout who pushed most for Lane, senior personnel executive Josh Scobey, got to make the call to tell the safety Jacksonville would be his NFL destination. Lane’s kick-coverage skills leaped off the film.

“He made it known early in the process,” Gladstone said on April 26, “that he was someone he would like to see become a Jaguar. Now, if you haven't already done so, I would advise anybody to take the time to watch his special-teams snaps because they are mighty enjoyable. He was able to make that phone call to him and get that conversation started.”

Lane will push the other safeties on the Jaguars’ roster in what figures to become one of the team’s most heated camp competitions. In addition to his special-teams component, Lane also has the advantage of entering the league under the new regime, drafted by Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen.

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