Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 players that won’t probably be back in 2022

Jacksonville Jaguars player that won’t be back No. 2 – Tre Herndon

The Jaguars’ front office has moved on from players that weren’t part of the team’s long-term future. However, they also kept others the previous regime acquired. One of them was cornerback Tre Herndon, who signed with the team in 2018 after going undrafted.

The Vanderbilt product worked his way up the depth chart and joined the starting lineup in 2019. He’s appeared in 46 games with 28 starts for the Black and Teal. He has the flexibility to line up in the boundaries and in the slot but he’s handled slot duties this season.

After suffering an MCL injury in the preseason, Herndon had to wait until Week 4 to make his 2021 debut. He’s only played more than 67 percent of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps in one game and has posted a subpar Pro Football Focus overall grade of 31.6.

At the time, bringing back Herndon made sense. He was one of the healthiest cornerbacks the Jags had last season, and he had improved every year. Nevertheless, he hasn’t performed up to expectations in 2021. His injury certainly plays a role but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the team’s brass letting him walk in free agency. After all, cornerback is an area of need and one the team’s brass must address next offseason.

Other than Shaquille Griffin, the Jaguars don’t have a reliable cornerback. Rookie Tyson Campbell is still developing, and sophomore Chris Claybrooks has shown he can’t take on a starting role. Nevin Lawson serviceable but not much else. Don’t be surprised if the unit looks considerably different next year.