Will Aaron Colvin Provide Stability for Jaguars Secondary?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a torn, oft-abused secondary this season. Aaron Colvin, once a second to first round prospect, will be available at cornerback for the Jaguars for the first time this week. In his first action the Jaguars hope to see a young player who could prove to be a foundation for the secondary in years to come.

The fourth-round rookie fell due to an ACL tear in the Senior Bowl before the draft. His talent, however, made it near impossible for the Jaguars to pass him up in the fourth round. So, can he deliver on what his potential promises?

Writer Dave Nelson believes he can, writing:

"Colvin brings great instincts and coverage ability to the Jaguars, but in all likelihood will struggle at first with the speed of the NFL receivers.  Facing a team with multiple talented receivers and tight ends, the Jaguars will be challenged thoroughly come Sunday.  If Colvin is capable of stepping up the task, he could not only surprise the Colts, but he could quickly earn himself a starting spot for the Jaguars."

Even if Colvin does struggle to adapt to the speed of the NFL in his first game (which I believe he likely will), he’ll find himself among a number of first and second year players who are simply trying to show that their potential does exist and that he can be something more in the future. The Jaguars are an incredibly young team and if any player has a chance of showing he is worth more than his draft position, it’s likely Colvin.

The mishmash secondary of the Jaguars should be a good opportunity to prove himself no matter the number of snaps he plays. He’ll have opportunities to cover quality receivers against the Indianapolis Colts and he’ll be able to showcase the talent that led many to think of him as one of the best secondary players in the draft.

If Colvin does flash that potential, the Jaguars will have to think of him as a quality player in a secondary that has underperformed in 2014 and been ravaged by injuries. He really only needs to prove himself better than Will Blackmon at this point to be inserted almost immediately into the nickel back position currently manned by safety Sherrod Martin.

So, can Colvin provide the much needed stability that the Jaguars have missed? Can he provide stability for the final six games? I certainly hope so. At a minimum, the Jaguars will finally get a look at what Aaron Colvin offers the young franchise and whether they will need a player of his caliber moving forward.