• The Jaguars have been one of the NFL’s top defenses in 2025: Jacksonville ranks fourth in EPA per play as well as PFF coverage grade.

• Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray have been well worth their price tags: The veteran free-agent signings have played like top-eight players at their positions so far.

• The Jacksonville Jaguars upset the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4: Dive into the PFF game recap for advanced stats, snap counts, early player grades and more!

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The Week 4 NFL slate was chock full of frenetic finishes and surprising results — even presenting a rare tie to close out Sunday’s group of games. But amid a slew of enthralling action, the Jaguars’ 26-21 win over the 49ers shouldn’t be ignored.

Even though Brock Purdy’s return to action was the principal storyline entering play, Jacksonville’s defense rendered itself the most notable aspect of the game. Indeed, the Jaguars limited San Francisco’s explosive offense to -0.154 EPA per play — its lowest mark since Week 15 of last season — while forcing four turnovers. Moreover, the Jags only surrendered two runs of 10-plus yards and contained Purdy’s side to -0.18 EPA per pass, which sits in the 21^st percentile this season.

More specifically, the 3-1 Jaguars now boast one of the NFL’s most-improved and overall best defenses. Utilizing the following advanced metrics, consider the team’s turnaround to begin the 2025 campaign under new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.

Jaguars’ Team Defensive Ranks, 2024 vs. 2025

Campanile’s defensive personnel hasn’t changed radically, still featuring one of the league’s foremost edge rusher tandems in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker while playing with strong linebackers in Devin Lloyd and Foye Oluokun. However, two marquee secondary additions have particularly galvanized the team’s stark jump.

Jacksonville shelled out $30 million to cornerback Jourdan Lewis, wooing him away from Dallas — and the investment has already paid off. Lewis was dynamic yet again in the Bay Area, registering a 79.0 overall PFF grade on initial review while permitting just eight yards into his coverage. This season, Lewis’ 81.9 overall PFF mark ranks third among cornerbacks to play 100 or more snaps, as the 30-year-old has built off a strong 2024 campaign.

Similarly, safety Eric Murray inked a $19.5 million deal to venture from rival Houston to Duval County, and he’s fit in swimmingly. In Week 4, Murray earned a 67.7 overall PFF grade on first look, including a 65.2 PFF run-defense grade. So far, the 31-year-old has produced a career season, slotting eighth among qualified safeties in overall grade (79.0) with a 77.6-plus mark in both coverage and run defense.

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Lewis and Murray, combined with No. 2 overall selection Travis Hunter, have revolutionized the Jaguars’ coverage acumen. Through four matchups, Jacksonville ranks fourth in team PFF coverage grade, with its 69.9 passer rating allowed the best in the NFL and its 16 forced incompletions also tied for fourth. A year ago, that group — still featuring players like Tyson Campbell, Andrew Wingard and Jarrian Jones — placed 26^th in collective coverage grade.

The last time the Jaguars fielded multiple secondary players who each graded north of a 79.0 mark and played at least 500 snaps? Their remarkable 2017 season, when Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye accomplished the feat. If all goes according to plan for Campanile, Lewis and Murray will both sustain those thresholds come January.

When Liam Coen accepted the Jaguars’ post, many expected the team’s offense to unlock new potential with a contingent including Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne and Brian Thomas Jr. So far, those results have yet to completely materialize, with Jacksonville ranking 19^th in offensive EPA per play and 18^th in success rate.

Meanwhile, Campanile’s defense has already begun soaring — not only anchoring the team’s impressive start, but also proliferating a trend of first-year defensive coordinators immediately revitalizing their new units. If Jacksonville’s defense remains this stout over the course of the full season, expect the team to remain in playoff contention — if not become the AFC South favorite.