The Jaguars’ safety group looks close to settled before training camp even opens, with Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson lined up as the projected starters and a handful of other names jockeying for the supporting roles.
Jacksonville’s roster at the position includes Murray, Johnson, Caleb Ransaw, Rayuan Lane, Jalen Huskey, Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig, Trevian Thomas and Devin Neal Jr. But the shape of the room already points toward a fairly clear outcome, especially if the Jaguars stick with the kind of usage they showed during offseason work.
One reason this group feels defined is the way Anthony Campanile has used three-safety looks. That could give Ransaw a path onto the field even if he isn’t locked into a traditional starting job.
Lane also has a strong case to stick around after serving as a core special teams contributor last season, and Huskey could fit that same mold. He might even challenge Ransaw for the third spot on the depth chart.
The bigger question is how many safeties Jacksonville keeps. Five is the most natural number, and that would leave this unit in good shape.
Four seems unlikely, since it’s hard to see who would be the odd man out. Six would require someone from the back end of the group to really force the issue, and that hasn’t happened yet.
Last year, the Jaguars carried five safeties on their initial 53-man roster.
So for now, the projection is straightforward: Eric Murray, Antonio Johnson, Caleb Ransaw, Jalen Huskey and Rayuan Lane. Short of a surprise, this doesn’t look like one of the more complicated battles on the roster.
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