Early in the offseason, it looked like cornerback was going to be a big need for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After all, Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome were scheduled to become free agents. While the latter ultimately bolted for the New York Giants, the latter ended up returning on a three-year, $31.5 million deal.
Couple that with the fact that Travis Hunter will play defense full-time in 2026, and corner no longer appears to be a priority. However, that shouldn't stop the Jags from bolstering the position in the NFL Draft. In fact, that's precisely what general manager James Gladstone plans to do based on a recent meeting.
The Jaguars had a pre-draft visit with San Diego State corner Chris Johnson
Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported that Chris Johnson has met with several teams ahead of the draft, including the Jaguars.
The former San Diego State Aztec is projected to go in Round 2. Although he's not a great tackler, he's one of the best pure cover corners in this year's draft class. Couple that with the fact that Johnson has the versatility to play man or zone, and he would be a great fit in Jacksonville. Of course, the Jags could face serious competition if they are zeroing in on him.
The Dallas Cowboys, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Green Bay Packers are among the teams that have been connected to Johnson, and all three pick before Jacksonville, so he could be gone by the time the Jaguars are on the clock at No. 56.
That means that general manager James Gladstone may need to trade up a few spots if he doesn't want to miss out on Johnson. The good news is that Jacksonville has 11 draft picks, so he definitely has the ammo to pull it off.
Aside from Travis Hunter and Montaric Brown, the Jaguars don't have much depth in the boundaries. Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis are also in the mix. However, both of them are better suited to line up in the slot. This is why it wouldn't be shocking to see the front office add a boundary corner on Day 2 of the draft.
Why the Jaguars may draft Chris Johnson
The Jaguars can afford to decrease Travis Hunter's workload on offense and have him play corner full-time because they're stacked at receiver. However, you can never have too many boundary corners, and Chris Johnson may be one of the best ones available in Round 2.
On the other hand, the interior defensive line and the pass rush are bigger needs than corner, so James Gladstone may prioritize both positions in the draft. Then again, he could target Johnson in Round 2 and bolster the defensive trenches in the third round. Either way, Jacksonville will have options to attack the draft.
Ultimately, the Jaguars may have just been doing due diligence when they visited with Chris Johnson. Having said that, it's clear that they're considering the possibility of adding a corner early in the draft. If it's not him, they could address the position with one of their three picks in Round 3.
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