Safety Antonio Johnson had a breakout year in 2025, as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After an up-and-down start to his career, in Year 1 under Anthony Campanile, Johnson became one of the more productive safeties in the league and came in at No. 13 on Bradley Locker’s list of the top 32 safeties in the NFL for Pro Football Focus.
“Johnson did a total about-face in 2025, going from one of the NFL’s worst to best safeties by overall PFF grade,” Locker said. “Indeed, his 86.6 overall PFF grade was the highest among anyone at the position with 700 or more snaps. Johnson was particularly dynamic in coverage, amassing an 87.6 PFF coverage mark and allowing only a 53.4 passer rating on targets in his direction. The key for Johnson will be consistency as he enters his fourth season in pursuit of a lucrative extension.”
As noted, Johnson was the highest-graded player at his position by PFF’s metrics in 2025. He allowed just 202 yards in total the entire season, held pass-catchers to 9.0 yards or less, and had five interceptions, nine passes defensed, and two sacks.
To go along with his production, Johnson brings a very versatile presence to the secondary as well, allowing Campanile to move him around often.
Consistency is likely the only thing keeping him from a higher ranking; analysts will need to see that 2025 wasn’t just a fluke, and that Johnson will continue performing at a high level. Judging by his training camp performance, he will continue to be a standout.
This scenario could theoretically pose trouble for the Jaguars. Johnson is set to enter free agency in 2027, and if he performs as well as he did in 2025, there’s no denying that he’ll be due for a big payday.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars defender ranked among top safeties entering 2026 NFL season
Reporting by Casandra Chesser, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Casandra Chesser, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
