Jaguars top 3 cornerback options to bolster secondary in free agency

Should the Jacksonville Jaguars kick the tires on this former All-Pro?

Patrick Peterson is one of those players that will benefit from name recognition in the open market. Even though he isn’t the All-Pro in his prime, he’s still efficient. However, teams, including the Jaguars, will need to discuss whether it will be a good idea to invest a heavy amount of money in the veteran cornerback.

Peterson, the fifth overall pick in 2011’s draft, has appeared in 154 games over his ten-year career and has logged 499 tackles (ten for a loss), two forced fumbles, 91 passes defensed, and 28 interceptions.  Although he posted an 82.5 Pro Football Focus grade as recently as 2018, he had a paltry 55.2 mark last season. Was his dip in performance an outlier or is it the start of his decline?

One thing that may benefit Peterson in the free-agent market is the fact he’s never missed a game with injuries. He missed six games in 2019 because he violated the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy but other than that, he’s dressed up for every single game in his career.

PFF thinks he will get a two-year $25 million deal, which may be more than the Jags should spend on a cornerback past his prime. However, if the team’s brass thinks he can play as well as he did a few years ago, they should go ahead and sign him.