Jaguars top 3 cornerback options to bolster secondary in free agency

Griffin would be a solid addition to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary.

Cornerback Shaquill Griffin is set to become a free agent after the Seattle Seahawks opted not to apply the franchise tag on him. The Hawks are projected to have around $17 million in cap space, so keeping the UCF product would’ve hindered their ability to make other significant moves in free agency.

A third-round selection in 2017’s draft, Griffin is one of two Seahawks cornerbacks that will hit the open market. While Quentin Dunbar should garner some interest, Griffin is the better of the two, having appeared in 57 games(with 53 starts) and logging 249 total tackles (nine for a loss), 48 passes defended, and six interceptions over his four-year career.

Last season, Giffin had a 64.5 Pro Football Focus grade, which wasn’t a good as the 77.0 mark he posted in 2019 but still solid nonetheless. He’s not a top-tier cornerback, but other than having missed six games with injuries in the last two years, he doesn’t carry any major red flags.

PFF predicts that Griffin will get a three-year $28.5 million contract while Over the Cap projects his deal will average around $5 million per year. Either figure falls within the Jaguars’ 2021 budget and seems like a fair contract for the cornerback.