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Jacksonville Jaguars believe big-money addition Jourdan Lewis helps cure takeaway woes
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- Jacksonville Jaguars believe big-money addition Jourdan Lewis helps cure takeaway woes
Jourdan Lewis ' reign as the NFL's highest-paid slot coverage player lasted less than a month.
Lewis signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 18, but was eclipsed by Chicago 's Kyler Gordon, who signed a three-year, $40 extension with the Chicago Bears on April 15.
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In this era of nickel players basically being full-time players, the Jaguars believe adding Lewis was money well-allocated.
The Jaguars want — and need — Lewis to be an effective slot corner like Trent McDuffie in Kansas City, Devon Witherspoon in Seattle , Taron Johnson in Buffalo and Michael Carter in New York ( Jets ). They're paying Lewis to be a difference maker on the field and a leader off the field; he was named a defensive captain on Monday.
"He knows how to be a pro," Jaguars coach Liam Coen said. "He understands the preparation, how to interact with his teammates in the meeting room and then he's made plays when the ball has come his way."
MORE FROM O'HALLORAN: Jaguars' new regime believes cohesion leads to success | Ryan O'Halloran
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Lewis turned 30 on Aug. 31 and will make his Jaguars debut Sunday against the Carolina Panthers . He played his first eight NFL seasons with Dallas , intercepting 10 passes in 115 games (64 starts). A luxury buy for the Jaguars? Sure. A required purchase for the Jaguars? Absolutely.
Playing the nickel spot isn't for the phony tough. The player has to jam a receiver or even tight end at the line of scrimmage. He has to weave around offensive linemen to diagnose a screen pass. And he has to be unafraid to play the run and be a sure tackler.
"You have to go out there and cover people and tackle people," Lewis accurately summarized.
Even if Lewis doesn't produce a ton of takeaways, the hope should be his tight coverage allows the pass rush to be more effective and the Jaguars to get a takeaway pulse.
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Decade-long takeaway issue
The Jaguars were historically pathetic last year in taking the football away .
Since the start of the Super Bowl Era in 1966, only four teams have had fewer than 10 takeaways in a season: San Francisco (2018, seven) and nine apiece for Houston in 2020, the Jaguars in 2021 and the Jaguars last year. Not surprisingly, none of those teams won more than four games.
This is a decade-long problem for the Jaguars.
Takeaways: In the last 10 years, the Jaguars' 189 takeaways are second-fewest in the NFL ( Las Vegas 179); in the last five years, the Jaguars' 89 takeaways are third-fewest (Las Vegas 78, Carolina 83).
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Interceptions: In the last 10 years, the Jaguars' 113 interceptions are second-fewest (Las Vegas 103); in the last five years, their 55 interceptions are tied for 25th.
"That's the key thing," Lewis said. "I want to make plays and make big plays and get the ball back to the offense. A tribute of a good defense is getting the ball back."
The NFL expanded to 14 playoff teams in 2020 and an examination of those clubs revealed a massive turnover differential isn't required, but a significant takeaway total is a non-negotiable to reach the postseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) hauls in a pass while running drills during an NFL training camp fifth session at the Miller Electric Center, Monday, July 28, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
The average per-team takeaway total during the five seasons are 22.9, 24.7, 24.3, 22.5 and 24.7. In the last five years, the Jaguars have 17, nine, 27, 27 and nine takeaways.
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(Among the 70 playoff teams from 2020-24, 16 had an even or negative turnover differential, including Kansas City in its two Super Bowl-winning seasons.)
So what produces takeaways? Good players? Good scheme? Good situations? The cop-out response is all of the above. Elite cover men intercept the football and elite pass rushers force fumbles, the coverage and rush working together. Pressure can be schemed up by the coaches. And playing with a lead creates ideal situations. Last year, among the top five teams in point differential, four had at least 26 takeaways.
Acquire good players (Lewis and cornerback Travis Hunter ). Cook up good calls (defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile was on Green Bay 's staff last year when the Packers had 31 takeaways). And get a lead (Coen will double as the offensive play-caller).
"You can stop teams and bend-but-not-break, but when you're taking the ball away, then you're a dynamic defense," Lewis said. "That's what I want to do to get us from good to great. Get to the ball, take it away and make things hard for (opposing) offenses."
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Lewis' versatility a strength
A look at Lewis' last three interceptions illustrated his versatility.
In 2023, he was in the slot and appeared to retreat into zone coverage before closing on a crossing route. In 2024, he played the left flat and correctly read screen. And last year, against Coen's Tampa Bay offense, he showed elite athleticism on a go route down the middle of the field.
Lewis is expected to play outside corner on the Jaguars' base downs and move inside in nickel situations. Last year, he played 84% of Dallas' defensive snaps.
It is a mind twist.
"I have to understand the little rules I have at each position, the little intracies and making sure I know where my help is at all times and where I need to be to help my guys at all times," Lewis said. "I have to know the defense in and out."
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Against Carolina, that could mean covering rookie Tetairoa McMillan or second-year receiver Xavier Legette on early downs and moving inside to cover slot receiver Hunter Renfrow on third down. A nickel cover man must prepare for big receivers, fast receivers, technical receivers of a combination of big, fast and technical. That's why guys like Lewis get paid.
"He's been around for a while and made what our coaches call 'quality plays,' in this league," safety Darnell Savage said. "He's a true pro and still feels he has a lot to accomplish as we all do."
O'Halloran can be reached at rohalloran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Jacksonville Jaguars believe Jourdan Lewis will help takeaway woes
