The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the offseason with uncertainty at corner. Both Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome were scheduled to become free agents, while Travis Hunter was recovering from the knee injury he suffered at the midpoint of 2025. This led to questions about how the front office would address the position.
In the end, Newsome walked, but Brown returned on a three-year deal worth $31.5 million. Meanwhile, Hunter is ahead of schedule in his recovery. Couple that with the fact that Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis are also in the mix, and the cornerback group suddenly doesn't look in bad shape.
Understandably, Jacksonville didn't draft a single cornerback. However, it did sign Preston Hodge and Davon Marshall in the aftermath. The former is already making a strong impression.
Preston Hodge is already making plays at Jaguars OTAs
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated drew up a list of the biggest winners on Day 1 of OTAs. He included Preston Hodge, pointing out that the cornerback group as a whole had a good day, but the undrafted rookie stood out because he created a turnover.
"Undrafted rookie cornerback Preston Hodge was able to make one of the biggest plays of Tuesday's practice with an interception during 7-on-7 drills," Shipley wrote. "The cornerback room in general had a good day as Montaric Brown, Jabbar Muhammad, and other members of the secondary produced pass breakups. But Hodge is the one who was able to make a play on the ball and get on the offseason takeaway board alongside safety Eric Murray."
Per Jamal St. Cyr of News4Jax, the play in question was a pick off backup quarterback Carter Bradley in 7-on-7 drills.
Hodge originally stood out because he was teammates with Travis Hunter at Colorado. He didn't have the same kind of recognition as the former Heisman Trophy winner but managed to make a name for himself with the Buffaloes, logging five interceptions and 31 passes defensed.
At 5'10" and 200 pounds, Hodge lacks a bit of length. However, his biggest issue is his dearth of short-area quickness and speed. But despite his shortcomings, the DeSoto, Texas native has thrived, so he should definitely have a shot at making the 53-man roster, even if it's a steep hill to climb.
Why Preston Hodge could make the Jaguars 53-man roster
Leaving aside that Preston Hodge will need to build off of his strong start to OTAs, the Jaguars could have a couple spots for grabs at cornerback. Travis Hunter will play defense full-time next season, so he's guaranteed one slot. Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones, and Montaric Browns will also be locks. That's four cornerbacks; Jacksonville could carry a couple more in 2026. If tha'ts the case, Preston Hodge will have a legitimate chance.
Of course, Hodge will need to compete with Jabbar Muhammad and Christian Braswell throughout the offseason. Working against him is that he may not get nearly as many reps as other cornerbacks, so he'll need to get the most out of every one he gets. Similarly, undrafted corner Davon Marshall could be in the thick of the battle for a roster spot.
Working in Hodge's favor is that this Jaguars regime won't hesitate to give you a roster spot if it thinks you deserve it, regardless of your contract status, or whatnot. Just last year, then-rookie defensive ends Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II made the team after going undrafted. Perhaps both Marshall and Marshall can make the cut this time around.
There's still a long way to go before cutdown day, so Preston Hodge will have ample time to keep making an impression. If his showing on Day 1 of OTAs was a sign of things to come, he should feel good about his chances to make the Jaguars roster.
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