It came out of nowhere, but an answer for the Jacksonville Jaguars' questions in the secondary could be on the way! As you may know, the team is due to lose multiple starters once free agency starts. One of these losses could be Montaric Brown, a homegrown defender who was selected by Jax in 2022. Luckily, a young prospect's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine gave James Gladstone a long-term solution to consider during the rest of the draft cycle.
San Diego State DB Chris Johnson amazed scouts during his drills and posted numbers that ranked near the top of the entire cornerback class. The former Aztec's estimated athleticism score (84) was the second best at his position. Of course, his blazing 4.4 40-yard dash and explosive 38-inch vertical jump show why he scored so well.
Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Johnson's efforts at the combine could have turned him into a legitimate first-round prospect. Unfortunately, the Jags don't have a first-round pick at the moment; but Gladstone could find a way to bring the rising star into the building if he gets creative.
Gladstone's aggressiveness could pay off if he doubles down on his training
Gladstone comes from the Los Angeles Rams' aggressive and progressive school of thought. As the leader of the Jaguars' front office, the second-year executive has some assets he could move if he wants to get back into the first round.
Rumors questioning Brian Thomas Jr.'s future in Jacksonville hit their peak once the combine began. The chatter could mean that there's a huge demand for the young receiver's services while he still has multiple years left on his rookie contract.
The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots are two teams at the end of the first round that could use an explosive deep threat to take their offenses to another level. While they could stay patient and see how this year's wide receiver class plays out, Thomas has two years of pro film for the Bills and Pats to rely on while determining if he's a good fit or not.
Landing a cornerback prospect like Johnson could validate the front office's decision to move on from BTJ if they choose to do so. With Travis Hunter moving to defense full-time, Gladstone and his personnel staff should be all-in on finding a dynamic CB2 to play alongside him.
In my opinion, Johnson and Hunter would give Jacksonville a level of athleticism they haven't seen since Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye were in town. Both players would have room to grow within Anthony Campanile's scheme and could establish themselves as dominant man corners in a league that still wants to put the ball in the air as much as it can.