Jaguars fans pick Antonio Johnson to lead Jacksonville in interceptions again

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense will enter the 2026 season with a familiar question hanging over it: who will be the player most likely to turn a game with timely interceptions. In a fan survey published this week by Yahoo Sports, respondents were asked to predict who would lead the Jaguars in interceptions, and fourth-year safety Antonio Johnson emerged as the top choice for a second straight season.

According to the fan results summarized by the Jacksonville fan site Big Cat Country, more than a third of respondents selected Antonio Johnson, citing his impact from last season. Fan polling indicated Johnson tied for the team lead in interceptions with five, alongside linebacker Devin Lloyd, reinforcing the view among many fans that Johnson is the defense’s most consistent playmaker in the secondary.

The poll also suggested that Jacksonville’s next wave of defensive production is on fans’ minds. Second-year pro Travis Hunter finished close behind Johnson in the voting, reflecting the expectation that the Jaguars’ secondary depth and versatility will translate into more opportunities on ball play. Recently extended Montaric “Buster” Brown was also noted as part of the conversation, with his name appearing among the top choices in the results.

Johnson’s case is strengthened by how Jacksonville uses him. The Jaguars’ defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile described Johnson as someone who does more than just one job in coverage and run support, saying he plays both safety positions, including nickel and dime alignments. That expanded role, Campanile said, increases the learning load, but also positions Johnson to understand the defense at a deeper level.

Campanile also pointed to how Johnson’s off-field and in-the-room presence matters as much as what shows up on Sundays. He said Johnson has been helping younger defenders in the meetings and in communication, and that he appears at a point where he can coach techniques the way more veteran players do. For a defense that wants to maximize instinct and speed on the back end, fans see a clear line from that leadership to the interception totals they expect Johnson to produce.

What to watch next is whether Jacksonville’s defensive plan creates the same kind of ball-hawking chances that fans connected to Johnson’s five-interception output last year. Interceptions are influenced by quarterback risk, coverage matchups, and how often a defense gets into the right third-down or two-minute situations, so the question for Johnson is not just whether he can win targets, but whether the Jaguars’ scheming keeps delivering him the ball opportunities he translates into takeaways.