The Jacksonville Jaguars have many holes they need to fill in the offseason, and they can begin addressing those needs by acquiring players from the list of the Jaguars’ free agent targets.
The Jaguars’ Free Agent Targets For 2025
With the 2024 season ending on a sour note, the Jaguars saw multiple areas of their team underperform. From the trench play on both sides of the ball being subpar, and the wide receivers and corners playing well below expectation, the Jaguars have plenty of holes to plug in the offseason. To begin plugging those holes, and before the 2025 NFL Draft, the free agent pool opens up. There are plenty of intriguing Jaguars free agent targets in the 2025 class, with five standing out above the rest for their fit and chance of happening.
1. Trey Smith – Offensive Guard
The top of the list among the Jaguars’ free agent targets is standout offensive guard Trey Smith. Smith has played for the Kansas City Chiefs his entire career and enters the free-agent market as one of the top options in the whole 2025 free agent class. The Jaguars’ free agent targets include multiple offensive linemen, all of which are at guard, and Smith is the best of the bunch.
He plays right guard for the Chiefs, and in the Super Bowl, he will go against Jalen Carter. That matchup can either make Smith’s payday a lot larger or hurt his value ever so slightly if he performs well or poorly. But of the Jaguars’ free agent targets for 2025, Smith is the best option.
With Brandon Scherff among the 2025 Jaguars free agents and most likely leaving in free agency, signing Smith to a lengthy deal makes a ton of sense for Jacksonville. Protecting Trevor Lawrence should be a priority, and Smith provides stability at right guard. Among all offensive guards in the NFL, Smith has the 11th-highest Pro Football Focus grade and the eighth-best pass-blocking grade. Scherff has the 64th-ranked pass protection grade but is 39th overall as his run-blocking grade is fairly high.
With such a massive difference in pass protection grade, an area that the Jaguars desperately need to improve in 2025, bringing in Smith makes a ton of sense for the Jaguars. While his contract will be a big one, his addition to the offensive line would be worth it for Jacksonville. Signing Smith, replacing Scherff in the process, is a great move for the Jaguars’ front office to make, and should be the top option of the Jaguars’ free agent targets.
2. Milton Williams – Defensive Tackle
The next member of the Jaguars’ free agent targets is rising star Milton Williams. The defensive tackle has been with the Philadelphia Eagles for four years, and in his final season before free agency, he is putting together an incredible year. While he struggles in the run game, his main strength is as a pass-rushing defensive tackle. There are plenty of intriguing names in free agency, but Williams fits the Jaguars’ offseason needs perfectly.
With great run defenders in house in Arik Armstead, who won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2025, and Travon Walker, Williams pass pass-rushing upside is a great tool to have and bring in with the rest of the defensive line. A front four of Walker, Josh Hines-Allen, Williams, and Armstead would be among the best in the NFL.
According to Pro Football Focus, Williams is ranked only behind superstar Chris Jones in pass rush grade among all defensive tackles, with both being the only members of the 90-plus pass rushing grade club. Adding Williams to the Jaguars’ defensive line makes a ton of sense. With the Eagles in the Super Bowl, Williams has a chance to bring his contract numbers up and prove he can be a force multiplier along a strong defensive line.
The Jaguars’ free agent targets for 2025 start with two players who might have a chance to line up against one another in the biggest game of the year. Williams has had a breakout season, leading the NFL defensive tackles in PFF’s True Pass Set pass rush win rate, and is fourth in the pass rush win rate among all interior defensive linemen. Such a breakout season is very appealing for the Jaguars, as they’ve been looking for an interior defender to generate pressure for some time now. Williams is a great fit and should be one of the Jaguars’ free-agent targets.
3. Chris Godwin – Wide Receiver
After Williams and Smith, the Jaguars’ free agent targets began to shift towards luxury as opposed to need. Chris Godwin is a great example of a luxury the Jaguars should look to add. After the Jaguars hired Liam Coen, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers connection was set in stone. Godwin was off to a great start in the 2024 season before he got hurt and had to get surgery, and Coen was a huge reason why. Bringing in Godwin to pair with Brian Thomas Jr. would be a great addition to the Jaguars’ offense.
Godwin will most likely not cost as much as fellow free-agent wide receiver Tee Higgins, thanks to the injury he sustained in the middle of the year. But the Jaguars should be more than willing to pay a decent sum to bring Godwin in, as he’s the perfect complement to Thomas.
One of the side effects of bringing Godwin in would be the need to get rid of one Gabriel Davis or Christian Kirk. Either would be moveable, and neither would be a huge loss for the Jaguars. After seeing how well the rest of the NFL has done with two dynamic wide receivers, the Jaguars should jump on board by bringing in Godwin to pair with Thomas.
Among all of the Jaguars’ free agent targets, Godwin holds the most risk due to his injury history. However, if he can overcome his injury, he will help elevate the Jaguars’ passing attack to being potentially one of the best in the NFL. Jacksonville is in the market for a wide receiver, as it’s one of many of the Jaguars’ offseason needs. Godwin would be the best fit among all free-agent wide receivers and would have a connection with Coen as an in-house connection for the Jaguars.
4. D.J. Reed – Corner Back
D.J. Reed has been paired with Sauce Gardner with the New York Jets, and entering free agency, he would be a great fit with the Jaguars. Jacksonville needs a perimeter cornerback, as Jarrian Jones has the slot position locked down. Tyson Campbell is on one side of the field as a boundary corner, but the Jaguars are in desperate need of a new boundary corner.
Ronald Darby and Montaric Brown struggled a lot in 2024, both giving up a ton of yards despite splitting time. The Jaguars’ free-agent targets for 2025 could include a bunch of different perimeter cornerbacks, but choosing just one, Reed would be the best fit.
One of the best reasons why he fits the Jaguars is his ability to not only play coverage well but also be a factor in the run game and tackle game. Many corners the Jaguars have thrown out there have struggled in the tackling game and or the run game. Having a top corner who is a great defender against the run and who can wrap up when needed is a huge boost for the Jaguars.
2024 saw the Jaguars’ defense struggle in every phase, and bringing in a cornerback who is good in every phase of the game makes a ton of sense. Reed is a good fit, and for that, he emerges as the top cornerback among the Jaguars’ free agent targets.
5. Justin Reid – Safety
The last of the Jaguars’ free agent targets to focus on is safety Justin Reid. He is another defender playing in the Super Bowl and is the second Chief to be featured among the top five best Jaguars free agent targets for 2025. Reid has had an incredible 2024 and is part of one of the top defensive units in the NFL. Chiefs fans love him, and he would be a good get for the Jaguars in the secondary if they decide to let Andre Cisco walk.
Reid, just like Reed, is a great all-around defender. While he’s good in coverage, one of the most standout traits about him is how great he is in the run game and as a tackler. Both starting safeties for the Jaguars in 2024 were among the worst when it came to tackling and defending the run. Replacing one of those starting safeties with a defender who can tackle and stop the run is the most important aspect of why Reid is one of the top Jaguars’ free agent targets.
Finding areas to improve the roster, even on the margins, is very important for the Jaguars’ offseason. Signing Reid to a deal to be their new starting safety would help the defense overall and help change the trajectory of the secondary. Of the Jaguars’ free agent targets, Reid may not be the most flashy name, nor cost the most, but he would provide a tremendous upside for the Jaguars’ defense going forward.
Overview Of The Jaguars’ Free Agent Targets For 2025
All of the Jaguars’ free agent targets are both feasible and sensible for the Jaguars. Smith is a rock-solid offensive guard and will sure up the offensive line for the future. Williams would be a huge pass-rush addition along the defensive line and would be a perfect fit among the defensive line already in-house. Godwin can elevate the offense to an elite level, making the Jaguars a dynamic offense that can threaten even the best defenses in the NFL. Reed and Reid are perfect fits for the Jaguars’ secondary, which is in dire need of help.
All of the Jaguars’ free agent targets would bring the Jaguars back into AFC South contention, and all of them are possible targets in the offseason. Another factor to consider for the Jaguars’ front office when weighing which of the Jaguars free agent targets to sign is their plan for the 2025 NFL Draft. With a strong defensive interior class, good running backs throughout the whole draft, and plenty of intriguing secondary and receiver targets in the early rounds, the Jaguars will have the flexibility to choose what they want and when.
The 2025 offseason is of huge importance for the Jaguars, as a good offseason can bring the Jaguars back to the playoffs and potentially Super Bowl contention. The 2024 season saw the Eagles go from a historic collapse in 2023 to having an incredible offseason, elevating them to the Super Bowl. Jacksonville has a long road ahead of them, but there are plenty of pieces ready to go for a deep playoff run.
Before looking ahead to playoffs, the Jaguars’ free agent targets need to be discussed. From trench help in Williams and Smith, a wide receiver to elevate Lawrence in Godwin, to adding much-needed pieces in the secondary, the Jaguars’ free agent targets identify all of the main areas of the roster that need improvement. Once the Jaguars fired Trent Baalke, Jacksonville could finally begin looking toward the future. With a strong free-agent class, the Jaguars’ free agent targets are incredibly important and could determine if the Jaguars make it back to the playoffs.
Main Image: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
