PFF rankings spotlight the veteran playmaker as Jacksonville’s premier slot threat, highlighting his elite coverage grades and crucial takeaways within a young, hungry Jaguars defensive unit.
Heading into next season, one of the biggest question marks is the Jacksonville Jaguars' secondary, which is filled with young, unproven talent.
But, with players like Travis Hunter, Jourdan Lewis, and Montaric "Buster" Brown on the outside, Jacksonville should still be dynamic in coverage, as the defense ranked second in the NFL in takeaways last season (31).
Lewis, who is entering his second season in Duval, has become one of the more-consistent defensive backs in the NFL, recording at least one takeaway in each of his last five seasons.
On Friday, Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman released his rankings of the top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL, with Lewis being the lone Jaguar to grace the list (No. 21).
"Lewis has been one of the NFL’s more productive slot cornerbacks over the past two seasons in particular. Since the start of 2024, his 78.7 PFF coverage grade ranks 12th among cornerbacks who have played at least 400 coverage snaps," Wasserman wrote. "During that time, he’s amassed three interceptions, nine pass breakups and 44 total stops. A return to full health and an even more defined role in the slot should allow Lewis to have another productive season."
With Hunter's missed time last season, Lewis was much more mobile than his previous years as a Dallas Cowboy, moving between the outside and the slot.
But, with Hunter looking even more dynamic than prior to the injury, and Brown being hailed as the Jaguars' top corner, Lewis should have a more consistent place in coverage - the slot.
As Wasserman noted, Lewis excels in this position, using his speed and press ability to thwart receivers at the line of scrimmage.
After eight seasons in Dallas, Lewis burst onto the scene with his new team, recording an interception in two of his first three contests with Jacksonville.
In the Jaguars' Week 1 victory over the Carolina Panthers, Lewis recorded three total pass breakups and five tackles, with his interception effectively ending the game.
Lewis was lined up in the slot, and jumped a pass intended for his former Cowboy teammate Rico Dowdle, allowing starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence to kneel out the remaining time.
Just two weeks later, Lewis once again found paydirt, picking off Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud in a defensive affair.
While it is not surprising to see one of the Jags' defensive backs make Wasserman's list, it is a bit shocking that Lewis was the pick.
With Hunter's limited run, its fair to keep him off the list, but Brown would have been the more-obvious pick.
Earlier this week, Lewis himself lauded Brown as Jacksonville's lead corner, saying that "Buster" can be "one of the best" corners in the NFL.
As a former seventh-round selection out of Arkansas, Brown had to work his way up the depth chart, but has now become the top guy in the defensive back room.
He was one of the most impressive players on the Jags defense last season, dominating on the outside and in zone coverage.
Brown's 69.6 allowed passer rating on the outside ranked fourth in the NFL, while his 45.8 allowed passer rating in zone coverage stood alone, beating out Texans All-Pro defensive back Derek Stingley Jr. by nearly three whole points.
In pass coverage, Brown led the Jags with 12 pass breakups and added two picks to the team's 22 total interceptions, while adding 51 tackles.
This duo, along with a healthy Hunter, provides defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile with plenty of speed and depth in the defensive backfield.
