The Jacksonville Jaguars have no shortage of depth and talent at several positions. In particular, their cornerback group looks in great shape. Just before free agency, Montaric Brown returned on a three-year deal, and Travis Hunter will line up opposite him full-time next season. Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis will mostly play nickel but could also line up in the boundaries if needed. Behind them, there are intriguing options vying for a roster spot.
Veterans like Christian Braswell will try to make a push to stick around, while sophomore Jabbar Muhammed is watching his stock soar at Organized Team Activities. Both of them will have to look over their shoulder, as an undrafted rookie is also making a bid for a spot with the Jags next season.
Preston Hodge is a sleeper to make the Jaguars 53-man roster
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated drew up a list of four sleepers who could make the 53-man roster and included Preston Hodge, pointing out that the rookie corner is making plays in practice.
"Another young cornerback who has stood out has been undrafted rookie cornerback Preston Hodge, "Shipley wrote. "The rookie cover man out of Colorado, who was college teammates with B.J. Green and Travis Hunter, recorded an interception during the first OTA practice last week and was again an active piece of the secondary this week."
As Shipley noted, Hodge got the spotlight when the Jags drafted him because he was teammates with Travis Hunter, B.J. Green, and Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig at Colorado, and all of them are back together in Jacksonville.
However, Hodge is already making a name for himself dating back to rookie minicamp. In fact, he's been dubbed an undrafted rookie who could end up earning a roster spot.
In two seasons at Colorado, Hodge logged a combined 20 passes defensed and three interceptions. The ballhawk skills are certainly there; it's now just a matter of whether they can translate into the NFL level.
Preston Hodge has an uphill battle to make the Jaguars roster
One thing working in Preston Hodge's favor is that the Jaguars will give him a legitimate chance to compete for a roster spot. However, he's facing an uphill battle because they have a crowded cornerback room. Four sports are virtually earmarked for Travis Hunter, Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis, and Montaric Brown.
It's hard to tell how many cornerbacks Jacksonville will carry into the regular season; it will probably be five or six, meaning that one or two spots could be available. That gives Hodges a chance to get the nod, but he will need to compete with fellow undrafted rookie Davon Marshall, sophomore Jabbar Muhammad, and Christian Braswell.
That means that Hodges may not end up cracking the team. It shouldn't be ruled out just yet, especially if he has a surge in training camp, but there's a chance he may not make the cut. That may not necessarily be a bad thing, though.
Hodges could spend his rookie season in the practice squad honing his skills and make a legitimate push for a roster spot next season.
The bottom line is that Preston Hodges should feel good about his chances of making the roster, but he should also brace himself for the possibility of having to work on his skills for another season before he's ready.
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