The Jacksonville Jaguars have gotten off to the best start since their 2017 season, surging to 4-1 after their 31-28 win over perennial AFC and Super Bowl contender Kansas City Chiefs. The Jaguars overcame several challenges in this game. Along with overcoming a 14-0 deficit, Jacksonville also overcame the ups and downs of Trevor Lawrence within this game. Additionally, they overcame some issues with their passing defense. Patrick Mahomes ended up having his highest passing yardage game of the season, amassing 318 yards in the loss to Jacksonville. With the Jaguars paying good money in the secondary, with the most recent additions this season in the form of cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter in the draft and cornerback Jourdan Lewis in free agency, the Jaguars want even more in their secondary. With them feeling they needed more, the Jaguas made a move on Wednesday night to potentially further upgrade their secondary and bid adieu to one of their former first-round picks at the same time.
The Jaguars traded 2021 second-round pick, cornerback Tyson Campbell, along with a 2026 7th-round pick they received from the Philadelphia Eagles, to the Cleveland Browns for cornerback Greg Newsome and a 2026 sixth-round pick Cleveland received from the New York Jets. The move was one that some did not see coming for the second time in 2025. As many remember, the Jaguars pulled off the 2025 draft-day trade that landed them Travis Hunter. What does this trade mean for the Jaguars?
Tyson Campbell signed a four-year, $76.5 million deal with $53.4 million guaranteed last offseason with the Jaguars brass at that time, led by then Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, believing he was going to be their number one corner. But over this season, he has not been that guy for the Jaguars. He has allowed a 106.1 passer rating against quarterbacks this season. And while he was solid against the run, he was not as solid in defending passes. He was also a guy who had been targeted 39 times in five games and had given up 31 receptions for 314 yards and three touchdowns. In comparison to other cornerbacks on the roster, he has definitely been someone the Jags’ opponents have targeted. That apparently did not sit well with the new Jacksonville brass and they felt they needed to make a change.
By bringing in Newsome, the Jaguars acquire a player who is in the final year of his rookie contract, earning $13.38 million. His play in Jacksonville will directly tie to what he plays for and potentially who he plays for next season. However, if his past seasons are any indication, he is a versatile corner who can play inside the slot and outside on an island as well. He also has the skills to play both man-to-man and zone coverage, and he plays them both very well. He has allowed fewer yards than Campbell on defense this season and has not allowed a touchdown either. And looking at the salaries, he is getting $1 million less this year to produce better results.
Overall, the Jaguars upgraded at cornerback and Newsome has an opportunity to play outside against wide receivers instead of playing in the slot, where he did not want to be. Overall, this strengthens Jacksonville’s defense and makes what is a tough defense even harder to go up against, especially with the level of play that Jourdan Lewis is providing.