Jaguars bolster CB depth with return of Tre Herndon

After going into a shopping spree on Day 1 of the NFL legal tampering period, the Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t been as active over the last couple of days. Nevertheless, they’ve made a couple of moves to bolster their depth at cornerback. First, they signed Darious Williams and they brought back Tre Herndon Thursday.

The Jaguars first announced that they’ve re-signed Herndon on their official Twitter PR. The terms of the deal haven’t been made public but it’s unlikely that they broke the bank for him. Last season, they re-sign him to a one-year deal worth $1.9 million and it’s possible that he got a possible amount this time around.

An undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt in 2018, Herndon moved his way up the depth chart and joined the Jaguars’ starting lineup in 2019. Last year, he was projected to start at nickel but he suffered an MCL injury in the preseason and was never fully healthy. His absence paved the way for safety-turned-corner Rudy Ford to line up in the slot.

Last offseason, then-head coach Urban Meyer praised Herndon, describing him as a starting cornerback. Moving forward, he will likely be the No.3 or 4 corner on the depth chart, with Shaquill Griffin and Tyson Campbell entrenched as the starters and Darious Williams most likely handling slot duties. Throughout his first four NFL seasons, Herndon has appeared in 52 games with 29 starts and has logged 18 passes defensed and three interceptions.

The Jaguars’ cornerback room could be a strength in 2022.

Last year, it seemed like cornerback was going to be a position of strength for the Jaguars. After all, C.J. Henderson had shown flashes as a rookie, the team’s brass had brought back Sidney Jones and signed Shaquill Griffin in free agency. However, both Henderson and Jones were eventually traded.

This year though, the Jaguars’ current cornerback group looks way better, at least on paper. Griffin was a key cog on their defense last season, and Tyson Campbell display enormous progress as a rookie towards the end of the year. Moreover, Darius Williams was a starting cornerback for the Angeles Rams. In case any of them misses time, Jacksonville has Tre Herndon and Rudy Ford will be ready to step up and start a few games.

Heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jaguars won’t have to worry about their cornerback group, which will in turn allow them to address other needs. They’ve made several upgrades to their defense this offseason, so it will be interesting what other changes they make.