If the Jacksonville Jaguars choose to address the safety position in free agency, who are the best available free agent options for them?
Andrew Wingard is set to be a free agent this offseason. Still on the roster, however, are Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson. As the season progressed, Johnson's playing time continued to expand as he put up impressive ball production, logging five interceptions and three pass breakups.
So the Jaguars don't need to look outside of the building to replace Wingard -- Johnson can do that.
But this is a defense under Anthony Campanile that utilized its fair share of three-safety looks. So the extent to which the Jaguars feel the need to address this position will likely be dependent upon how they feel about second-year players Rayuan Lane and Caleb Ransaw.
Lane was a Day 3 pick in 2025 and a core special teams contributor who played only 117 defensive snaps. Ransaw missed the entire year due to injury.
Part of the drafting and developing process is giving these selections the opportunity to carve out roles, so while adding competition to the back end of this depth chart wouldn't be a bad idea, I have my doubts that the Jaguars invest heavily into the safety position, whether that be with cap dollars or draft capital.
It's also worth noting that the Jaguars do find themselves in a tight salary cap situation at the moment. So the cap space they do have may not go towards a position where the two starting spots and a few backup positions are already accounted for.
However, if my evaluation of this position group is wrong, with help from Pro Football Focus' free agency big board, here are the top available players at safety.
12 best available free agent safeties in 2026 for Jaguars
- Bryan Cook, Chiefs
- Kamren Curl, Rams
- Kevin Byard, Bears
- Jabrill Peppers, Steelers
- Jalen Thompson, Cardinals
- Coby Bryant, Seahawks
- Reed Blakenship, Eagles
- Jaylinn Hawkins, Patriots
- Jaquan Brisker, Bears
- Ar'Darius Washington, Ravens
- Alohi Gilman, Ravens
- Nick Cross, Colts
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 12 best available free agent safeties for Jacksonville Jaguars in 2026