Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell growing into leadership role

Tyson Campbell became a key cog for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of the 2021 season and head coach Doug Pederson believes the sophomore cornerback is ready to take on a bigger role this year.

Pederson told the local media on Day 10 of training camp that he’s seen Campbell “kind of growing into a leadership role” and improving as a player.

"I’ve seen someone that’s kind of growing into a leadership role, someone who’s really developing his craft, honing his skill. His playing with confidence and those are all the things that we need to continue to nurture in him. He’s a young player, he’s had a really good camp."

Pederson says that it was good to see Campbell come back and play after getting hurt against the Las Vegas Raiders in the Hall-of-Fame Game. The head coach echoes cornerback Shaquill Griffin’s recent comments about Campbell’s confidence being through the roof ahead of Year 2.

Tyson Campbell is poised to become  a leader of the Jaguars secondary

Campbell, the 33rd overall pick in last year’s draft, struggled early in his rookie campaign but got progressively better and ended up leading the Jags in interceptions with two. As Pederson said, the cornerback is making strides ahead of the 2022 season and has had a solid training camp.

Per Jordan de Lugo of Generation Jaguar, Campbell logged two passes defensed Wednesday, including a 50-plus yard throw intended to Zay Jones.

When it comes to the NFL, you must play with confidence. You can have elite physical traits and all the talent in the world but you must trust your skills. Otherwise, you’re going to struggle. The fact that Campbell finished the 2021 season strong should definitely help him build his confidence ahead of Year 2.

It’s worth noting that Campbell is just 22 so he’s barely scratching the surface and should be even better in 2022. The Jaguars’ coaching staff deserves some credit, as they’ve done a good job of nurturing his talent but he still has room for growth.

Campbell is one of several members of the Jaguars’ 2021 draft class that is expected to have big roles this upcoming season. Based on reports from training camp, he’s poised to make a significant leap.