The Jacksonville Jaguars could use some help with their cornerback room. The front office could add depth at this year’s NFL draft after addressing more pressing needs in the early rounds.
The Jaguars have finally found their next head coach in Doug Pederson. With the head coach conundrum finally solved, the shift can begin towards what the team plans on doing at this year’s player selection meeting. One route they can take to add depth at cornerback would be to pick up a prospect in the mid-to-late rounds.
Last season, the Jaguars saw some promising play from Tyson Campbell, a second-round choice last April. In his rookie campaign, Campbell accumulated 10 pass deflections, two tackles for a loss, and 49 solo tackles. He earned a respectable 59.9 coverage grade by Pro Football Focus, in addition to a noteworthy 69.9 grade in run defense. Even though he gave up 667 receiving yards in the backfield, the Georgia product has a bright future ahead of him.
Opposite Campbell, the Jaguars trotted out 2019 Pro Bowler Shaquill Griffin. The former Seattle Seahawk proved his worth once again in 2021. Surrendering only 542 yards to opposing quarterbacks, Griffin impressed with a 71.1 coverage grade. While the Jaguars have both Griffin and Campbell in house, the team could use a youth injection this April.
The team will likely use its early-round choices on obvious needs such as offensive line, pass rusher, and wide receiver. Having a second pick in the third round will surely help with that. That means that after the third round, Jacksonville could look to secure themselves a corner, one that could potentially see immediate action in the nickel slot.
Two options that Jaguars should consider in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Mario Goodrich from Clemson could be a solid pickup as early as the third round but could fall into the fourth. He was one of the best defensive backs in the ACC last year, posting exceptional numbers across the board. Most notably were his pass deflections, which totaled nine and were tops in the entire conference.
PFF highlights his coverage abilities, which were graded at 83.5, and his run defense was outstanding, coming in at 81.3 for the season. While he did play outside wide for 540 snaps, he could transition into a nickel defender. At six feet tall and weighing under 190 pounds, the Jaguars would be smart to start him slowly. That way, he won’t be thrust into guarding an opposing team’s number one option right out of the gate.
Standing at six-foot-one and weighing 198 pounds, Coby Bryant has the size and overall frame you want in an NFL corner. At Cincinnati, Bryant had an extraordinary run, posting eye-popping numbers. This was evident with his 35 career pass deflections, which are 24th all-time in the NCAA. Last year’s recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award, Bryan might not fall past the third, but either way, the Jaguars should kick the tires on him.
Much like Goodrich, Bryant comes into the pros with a solid foundation. A true ballhawk that’s always around to make a play, and as a side note, PFF graded his coverage at 85.0 last season. His speed will allow him to be an asset in blitz packages, sporting a 60.0 pass-rush grade.
Two more cornerback options for the Jaguars in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Much like Bryant, Josh Jobe possesses solid size and frame, standing at six-foot-one and weighing just under 200 pounds. However, Jobe isn’t nearly the polished defender that the two aforementioned corners are. Nevertheless, Job did post solid numbers as a member of the Crimson Tide. It was Jobe’s senior year. He had two interceptions, four pass deflections, and 28 solo sacks.
While those numbers are notable, he was even better the previous season when he was fifth in the SEC with two forced fumbles and first in pass deflections with 11. Unfortunately, he requires some polishing. PFF gave him an underwhelming coverage grade of 65.8. One thing that will help him with the Jaguars is his ability to create turnovers. His hands are always around the ball, forcing the ball out or defending passes. If he’s there in the fourth round, the Jaguars should pounce.
Another corner that should be available in the third to fifth-round range is Nebraska’s Cam Taylor-Britt. The former Cornhusker had a solid collegiate career, totaling 22 pass deflections over a four-year career that spanned 40 games. In that run, he was second in the Big Ten with 11 passes defensed last season. In 2020, he was eighth in his conference with two interceptions.
Possessing a solid 76.3 PFF coverage grade, Taylor-Britt would also help the Jaguars in the special team’s department. He collected nine punt returns the last two seasons and was third in the Big Ten with 79 punt return yards in 2020. He’d see plenty of time on special teams as the Jaguars’ defense could mold him as he too has a sizeable frame.