The Jacksonville Jaguars had a pretty busy offseason. They were one of the most active NFL teams in free agency. They also used their surplus of draft picks to add a few difference-makers in this year’s selection meeting, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence. You might not like every move the Jags made but you can’t deny they are a more talented team than they were last offseason.
The offense certainly needed upgrades but so did a defense that ranked 31st in both total yards and points allowed last season. In particular, the safety room needed a boost and the team’s brass did a good job of replenishing the unit. The Jaguars gave Rayshawn Jenkins a four-year $35 million contract and signed Rudy Ford to a two-year contract in free agency. They also re-signed Josh Jones.
Heading into the draft, Tre’von Moehrig was a favorite to land in Jacksonville with the 25th overall pick. Ultimately, the Jags chose running back Travis Etienne but they didn’t neglect the safety position, taking Andre Cisco with the first selection in Round 3. The former Orangeman will join a group that includes veteran Jarrod Wilson and sophomore Daniel Thomas.
Although safety is far from a position of strength, it’s not a weakness either. Pro Football Focus recently ranked all secondaries in the NFL and Jacksonville popped up at 27. Based on the talent level the Jags currently have, there’s a good chance they move up a few spots once the regular season begins.
For the time being, here’s a look at how the Jaguars’ safety room looks ahead of training camp.
Here are all the safeties listed on the Jaguars’ roster, per the team’s official website:
- Andrew Wingard
- Jarrod Wilson
- Andre Cisco
- Rudy Ford
- Rayshawn Jenkins
- Josh Jones
- Daniel Thomas
The team has a nice mix of young and veteran safeties. The elder of the group is Jarrod Wilson, who’s been with the Jaguars since 2016. That year, the Michigan product went undrafted and hardly played in his rookie campaign. However, he worked his way up the depth chart and made his first start in 2018. The team gave him a three-year contract worth $9 million in 2019. Since then, he’s appeared in 28 games and has logged 188 total tackles, ten tackles for a loss, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble, and three interceptions.
After playing just 18 percent of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps in 2019, Andrew Wingard saw his playing time more than double last season. Moreover, he snagged a career-high two interceptions. Josh Jones also saw a significant amount of playing time due to all the injuries the team suffered at the position. The 2017 second-round pick didn’t play particularly well but the team liked him enough that they brought him back.
Rayshawn Jenkins was a fifth-round of the Los Angeles Chargers and was one of the Jags’ biggest acquisitions this offseason. He’s appeared in 31 games and has registered five interceptions over the last two seasons. The team’s brass expects him to make an impact right out of the gate. Jenkins will mostly start next to Wilson in the season opener against the Houston Texans.
How many safeties will the Jacksonville Jaguars carry in 2021?
Here’s how the Jaguars’ safety depth chart could look in Week 1:
- Rayshawn Jenkins
- Jarrod Wilson
- Josh Jones
- Daniel Thomas
- Andre Cisco
This one will be a sort position to sort out. There aren’t simple enough roster spots for everyone and one or two veterans could be on the outside looking in. Jenkins is a lock to make the roster, and so are Andre Cisco and Daniel Thomas.
Cisco was a ballhawk back in college. Over a span of 24 games, he logged 13 interceptions and 14 passes defensed. He had to deal with a lower-body injury in 2019 and tore his ACL last year. If he manages to stay healthy, it may be just a matter of time before he joins the starting lineup. However, he will have to compete for playing time.
Daniel Thomas worked his way up the depth chart in 2020 and showed promise before suffering an arm injury in Week 11 that cut his season short. He started two games last year but if he had stayed healthy, he would probably have made a few more starts.
Rudy Ford may be the odd man out. The Jaguars signed him to a two-year deal but releasing him in 2021 would create a manageable $600,000 cap hit. During his four-year tenure with the Philadephia Eagles, he never played more than six percent of the defensive snaps in a season.
Ford may not have reached his ceiling yet but there’s a chance the Jaguars release him before he takes a snap for them.