Once a rookie understudy, the 24-year-old safety now anchors a hungry Jacksonville defense as a seasoned veteran aiming to transform the secondary into the NFL’s premier unit.
Entering his fourth season in the NFL, Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson is already considered a leading veteran in the secondary.
Johnson talked to reporters after practice about being a rookie three years ago and being led by other veterans in the defensive backs room, such as Andre Cisco.
"It felt just like yesterday, I was a rookie coming right here under [their] wings,” Johnson said. “Now, I'm an older guy in the room. I have never really been the older guy before. Even in college, I always had older guys above me, but it's a little different being the older guy."
Johnson is now a seasoned player in the defensive back core, as he's the oldest in the group at 24. The only other older safety is Eric Murray, who is entering his 10th season in the NFL at 32. Johnson talked about the chemistry in the back end of the defense.
"It's a different feeling," said Johnson. "It's just a blessing to be able to know that guys in the room trust me to be able to come to me and ask me questions, and knowing that I'm going to lead them in the right direction."
The current Jaguars safety room features players like Jalen Huskey, who they drafted with the 100th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Maryland. Huskey has been seen as someone with a lot of talent through OTA's and mini camp. They also have Caleb Ransaw, who was once a cornerback, but he was injured in 2025. Rayuan Lane III was drafted in 2025 and saw limited time on defense, still racking up 20 tackles, a pass defended, and a fumble recovery. Lane was a key contributor on special teams, totaling 15 tackles in that phase of the game throughout the season.
Antonio Johnson Overview
Johnson was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 5th round, 160th overall, in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. In 2025, Johnson had 40 tackles, 2.0 sacks, five interceptions, and a touchdown. In his NFL career so far, he's totaled 109 tackles, seven interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and three sacks.
Johnson spoke about how the Jaguars' defensive mindset is going into 2026 after a really good 2025 season.
"We are really striving to be the No. 1 defense in the game, and just be able to go out there and make an impact on the game," he said. "That's what the whole purpose of this offseason is. Like, we want to be remembered as that 2026-27 Jaguars defense."
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