JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While the starters in the Jaguars’ secondary are more or less set heading into 2026, depth was something the Jaguars would be in the market for this offseason. With Antonio Johnson sliding into the starting safety role left by Andrew Wingard, the Jaguars needed some help at their dime spot.
Maryland’s Jalen Huskey fits precisely the mold James Gladstone was looking for, a player with experience all over the secondary, not unlike Johnson coming out of Texas A&M. Huskey played the first two seasons in college at corner before transitioning to safety.
Huskey (6’1”, 196 LBs) certainly has the size to match up with some of the bigger receivers and tight ends teams will utilize to create mismatches. The same reason the Jaguars drafted Nate Boerkircher is the same reason they selected Jalen Huskey, preparing for the coming trend of multiple tight end sets.
Huskey is a ball-hawk of the highest form, nabbing three or more interceptions in each of his past three seasons. Between high school and college, Huskey recorded 29 interceptions. For a team that thrived off turnovers last season, he should fit right in with the Jaguars’ opportunistic defense.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Huskey excels in coverage, considering the position change. At Maryland, Huskey allowed a completion rate of just 58.6% and an NFL Rating of 52.0. What’s more impressive is his success in zone after making the safety switch.
After his switch to safety, Huskey allowed 18 receptions on 24 targets for 130 yards, zero touchdowns, and five interceptions in zone coverage. For context, that’s good for an NFL Rating of just 40.6 allowed, pretty nutty production from a player just now coming into his own.
The Jaguars’ defense ran sub packages on 74% of snaps last season, in addition to some of the lightest boxes in the NFL. With Johnson expected to fill in for the void left behind by Andrew Wingard, Huskey has the opportunity to battle for those big nickel, dime package snaps.
He’ll likely have to battle it out with Caleb Ransaw, the Jaguars’ 2025 version of Huskey who also has swapped positions from corner to safety. As it stands, Huskey might be the more ready player as his two seasons at safety and turnover production give him a leg up, however, Ransaw’s athleticism is a huge swing in his favor.
It should be a fun camp battle to keep an eye on.
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