JACKSONVILLE – He has stood out thus far, and he has done it his way.
That's a veteran way for Jourdan Lewis – and for the ninth-year cornerback, that has been a notably productive way as 2025 Jaguars Training Camp continues at the Miller Electric Center.
"I just look at it as trying to stack on each day," he said.
Lewis – whose consistency and professionalism has been notable as he acclimates to a new team – spoke Thursday following a two-hour '25 practice as the Jaguars prepared for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Stadium. Earlier this week, Head Coach Liam Coen praised Lewis for a veteran, steady approach and helping a transitioning franchise in multiple ways.
"I had so much respect for him coming in," Coen said of Lewis, who signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in March after eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. "From the moment we sat down and talked in my office, from then until now, it has been exactly what he has said he wanted to do and what we also wanted from him from a veteran leader: [Be a] professional, show some of these guys the way.
"He has taken that role on and ran with it."
Lewis through camp's first two weeks perhaps qualifies as the team's best defensive back – and perhaps its best defensive player. He made a diving interception off backup quarterback Nick Mullens in the stadium scrimmage Friday, following that with an equally athletic diving interception off starter Trevor Lawrence in Monday's practice.
"It's every day, it's making a play," Coen said. "There's only so much, within a scheme, that you can teach and coach. Ultimately, they have to go out and make plays and he just continues to be a steady, consistent professional that communicates at a high level.
"He brings calmness to our back end, a playmaker to our back end, and a great leader for the guys to be able to continue to listen to back there."
Lewis, who played extensively at nickel corner with the Cowboys, was listed as a starting cornerback on the Jaguars’ initial preseason depth chart. He said where plays on game days is a matter of "whatever coach wants," adding that he is fine with an extensive role at outside corner.
"I don't mind it," Lewis said. "I want to go play. I want to make plays. That's it. Wherever I can find myself on the field to go make plays, I want to do it. It doesn't matter if they line me up at linebacker, I'll go out there and give it my all and go make some plays."
Lewis, like multiple players during camp, praised the Jaguars’ defensive scheme under first-year coordinator Anthony Campanile. It's a scheme that emphasizes zone concepts in the secondary, which Lewis said enhances what he considers his strengths.
"It gives me places where I can get vision on the ball and make plays more than I have in recent years," he said." I don't mind playing man, which I know I can do pretty well. It gets my eyes on the quarterback and go get the ball, which I feel like I've been doing this camp.
"We're getting comfortable with how Coach calls games and predicting where he wants to call different things and what he's expecting. We're just going out there trying to make plays. I feel like we make a play on the ball every single day, and I really enjoy it.
"A lot of guys feel the same way about the defense. We'll see what we do in the regular season, but as far as preseason right now and in camp, I think we're doing a really good job."
QUOTABLE
- Lewis on starters playing in Saturday's preseason opener: "When those lights come on and you're playing somebody else, you definitely want to see how your teammates respond to different things and how they like to play different calls and their different characteristics on the field. I think it's a really good thing to go out there and play in the preseason, especially given that we don't have a lot of reps in camp against anybody else. I feel like that's a key thing to do, get out there and see if we can go do it against somebody else."
