JACKSONVILLE – This offseason presents plenty of firsts for Antonio Johnson.

For the first time in four NFL seasons, he is not having to learn a new defensive scheme. He also for the first time in his NFL career is one of the seasoned veterans helping to command the safety room.

"It's kind of crazy," Johnson said.

Johnson, speaking last week as the Jaguars' 2026 offseason program continued at the Miller Electric Center, recalled then-veterans such as Rayshawn Jenkins, Andre Cisco and Daniel Thomas – who were Jaguars leaders and veterans when Johnson entered the NFL as a fifth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

"It felt just like yesterday I was a rookie coming right here under [their] wings. Now, I'm an older guy in the room. I have never really been the older guy before. Even in college I always had older guys above me, but it's a little different being the older guy."

Johnson being the "older guy" at 24 years old speaks to the youth of the Jaguars' safety position. Other than Johnson (20 career starts) and Eric Murray (70 career starts), the Jaguars have three first- or second-year players at the position: second-year veteran Caleb Ransaw, second-year veteran Rayuan Lane III and rookie Jalen Huskey.

"It's a different feeling," Johnson said. "It's just a blessing to be able to know that guys in the room trust me to be able to come to me and ask me questions, and knowing that I'm going to lead them in the right direction."

Johnson was important in defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile's secondary last season, starting eight regular-season games and appearing in all 17. He registered a career-high five interceptions, which tied for the most on the team and second most in the league.

Johnson in 2025 also led all Jaguars defensive backs with two sacks and recorded 52 tackles (34 solo), including two for loss, and nine passes defensed.

Campanile saw the growth and now is seeing Johnson settle into his new role in the safety room as an experienced and trusted voice. Campanile called Johnson a "really good communicator," who has accepted the large role he plays in the defense and meeting rooms.

"Definitely a little bit different for him coming in this year, just knowing everything that he knows within the system," Campanile said. "You see him helping the young guys, helping Jalen [Huskey] and other guys in the room. Done a good job in the meetings, but the cool thing about him is he has had a lot on his plate – maybe more than even some other guys because Antonio plays both safety positions, nickel, dime … he does a lot.

"When you do that, it's hard. It's hard to learn all that stuff, but in the end, the silver lining is you know the defense as good or better than anybody. I think he's at the point now where he can coach a lot of the techniques that we're asking the guys to play, which is cool."

Johnson was on his third defensive coordinator and scheme in three seasons last year when he first learned Campanile's defense. Now, having learned the system for the past year, he said he is finding value in "the comfortability of just knowing, okay, I can add to what I did last year."

After a strong 2025 season, the Jaguars' defense will return most of their starters. And while Johnson said there are areas to improve, he is confident the Jaguars will do so.

"We are really striving to be the No. 1 defense in the game, and just be able to go out there and make an impact on the game," he said. "That's what the whole purpose of this offseason is. Like, we want to be remembered as that 2026-27 Jaguars defense."