When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded Tyson Campbell to the Cleveland Browns, they thought they were getting an upgrade at cornerback. However, things haven't panned out the way they envisioned.
While Campbell has made an impact with the Browns, Newsome has failed to hit his stride in Jacksonville. Couple that with the fact that he's set to become a free agent in 2026, and it's hard to see him return to the Jags. That would, in turn, make cornerback a top priority for the team's brass. The good news is that respected draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic came up with an intriguing proposal.
The Jaguars could replace Tyson Campbell with Keith Abney
Dane Brugler just dropped his first mock for the 2026 NFL Draft (subscription required), and two things stand out. The first one is that he took potential trades into account. The other one is that he had picks for teams without a first-round selection, and Jacksonville fits that category after giving up their first-rounder next year as part of the trade package to select two-way star Travis Hunter.
The Jaguars do have a second-round selection in 2026, and Brugler has them rolling with cornerback Keith Abney with it. Here's the skinny.
"Abney was considered an 'on the rise' prospect entering the season, and that rocket ship has yet to slow down," Brugler wrote. "Of the 15 FC cornerbacks with at least 430 coverage snaps in 2025, he's the only one who didn't allow a passing touchdown."
A three-star recruit out of high school, Abney can line up inside or outside and has the downfield speed to keep up with opposing receivers. Moreover, his route-recognition skills and his physicality would make him an intriguing addition to the Jacksonville secondary. Daniel Harms compares the Arizona State Sun Devil to NFL cornerback Michael Carter II and has a third-round grade on him.
Of course, all teams and scouts have different scores for each player, but there's no doubt that Abney has the tools to thrive at the NFL level.
Related: The Jags face an impossible challenge with 3 stars who deserve new deals
Why Keith Abney makes sense for the Jaguars if Greg Newsome leaves
Since the Jaguars cannot jump into a time machine and void the Tyson Campbell trade, the best next thing they can do is bolster the cornerback position. Using a pair of draft picks would most definitely be a reasonable course of action. Keep in mind that Jacksonville has three picks in Round 3, so they can definitely take care of different needs. And precisely because they have a surplus of selections on Day 2, they should consider investing one in Keith Abney.
It's also important to point out that Montaric Brown, among other players, is also slated to hit the open market, and if he leaves, that will be two cornerbacks the Jags will need to replace. Of course, keeping Brown would allow the front office to address other positions.
On the other hand, the Jaguars could face a cap crunch in 2026 — they're set to have just $8 million in space — so they may end up resorting to the draft to replenish the roster.
The bottom line is that whether the Jaguars re-sign Montaric Brown or not, they would still have a hole at cornerback, and Keith Abney would most definitely help them fill it.