In the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Navy safety Rayuan Lane. Let’s break down the pick.
In the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Navy safety Rayuan Lane.
Let’s break down the pick, and if you missed our other recaps, you can find them below.
Rayuan Lane’s profile
Lane is an experienced player with 2,647 career defensive snaps over four seasons at Navy. During that time, he lined up all over the defensive backfield, spending most of his time at free safety, but Lane also has ample experience playing closer to the line of scrimmage, either in the box or in the slot.
Lane was stingy in coverage, which includes allowing a career completion rate of 56% and just 47% this past season. He also surrendered a career-low 11.7 yards per catch in 2024 and has had terrific ball production, with six interceptions and 12 pass breakups over the last two seasons. According to PFF’s metrics, Lane did have a higher missed tackle rate as well.
Although Lane has experience playing closer to the line of scrimmage, within the Jaguars’ defense, he could be best suited as a developmental free safety behind Eric Murray, where his ball skills and production can be maximized.
In the short term, Lane should make an immediate impact on special teams, where he played 547 career snaps across four of the six different phases.
Rayuan Lane’s scouting report
NFL.com
Lance Zierlein: “A mainstay of the Navy defense, Lane roams the field with ball-hawking instincts and an impressive special teams résumé. Lane lacks length but is well-built and moves fluidly in space. He does a nice job of reading quarterbacks and getting early jumps on the throw from his zone perch but will occasionally allow the action to get behind him when he lingers with his eyes. He plays ready football in run support but needs to improve his pacing and technique as an open-field tackler. Lane has enough talent to land as a backup safety and will likely stand out as a gunner on special teams.”
They said it
Eric Lewis, Navy defensive passing game coordinator and safeties coach: “The Jacksonville Jaguars have drafted a tremendous person, competitor and player,” said Lewis via Navy Football. “I firmly believe that Rayuan’s best football is ahead of him, between his special teams ability, his coverage skills and his fearlessness in stopping the run. He has a huge upside as a football player because he has proven time and again while at the Naval Academy that he is not afraid to work. “