Ranking Jacksonville Jaguars safeties following the 2021 NFL draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a few additions to their safety room this offseason after ranking 27th in touchdowns allowed last year. They signed Rayshawn Jenkins in free agency and used a third-round selection in this year’s selection meeting to take Syracuse’s Andre Cisco, so how does the group look following the draft?

Although Jarrod Wilson missed four games last season, he should start next to Jenkins in the season opener. However, it may be a matter of time before Cisco joins the starting lineup. Also, Daniel Thomas showed promise as a rookie before an arm injury ended his season and will compete for playing time. All in all, it looks like defensive backs coach Chis Ash will have plenty of talent to work with this upcoming season.

This Jacksonville team also re-signed Josh Jones and added Rudy Ford in free agency. It will be interesting to see what kind of role they have in 2021. In the meantime, here’s a power ranking of the Jaguars safeties.

How does the Jacksonville Jaguars safety room look following the draft?

1. Rayshawn Jenkins: The former Los Angeles Chargers safety signed a four-year, $35 million contract to join the Jaguars this offseason. A playmaker with the Bolts, he says that joining Jacksonville was an easy decision in his book. Let’s see if Jenkins can help the team win on a consistent basis.

2. Jarrod Wilson: A key cog in the Jaguars’ secondary over the last two years, Jarrod Wilson is entering a contract year and needs to show the team he deserves to be part of their long-term plans.

3. Andre Cisco: Heading into the draft, one of the Jaguars’ biggest needs was safety but instead of addressing the position early in the selection meeting, they waited until the third round to take Andre Cisco. Although it’s uncertain if the Syracuse standout will be able to make the transition to the pros, he has the potential to start by midseason.

4. Daniel Thomas: The Auburn product showed promise as a rookie and even started two games. He will need to pick up where he left off in 2020, but he could make this interesting in training camp.

5. Andrew Wingard: This Jacksonville team snagged 12 interceptions last season and Andrew Wingard was responsible for two of them. An undrafted free agent in 2019, his playing time has gone up over the last two years due to injuries at the position but that may change in 2021, as the team has better depth.

6. Josh Jones: A second-round pick in 2017, Josh Jone’s NFL career hasn’t really taken off. He started 13 games for the Jags last year but the truth is that they had nobody else to turn to. Even though the team brought him back on a one-year deal this offseason, he could be a surprise cut before the regular season starts.

7. Rudy Ford: The Jaguars gave Rudy Ford a two-year, $ 4.2 million this offseason. Although he is listed as a safety, he never played more than six percent of the Philadelphia Eagle’s total snaps on defense in a season and that’s is unlikely to change in Jacksonville. His main role will be on special teams.