Jaguars ready to unleash promising 2024 NFL draftee in hopes of strong finish

• The Jaguars will be giving Deantre Prince a chance to showcase his skills.

Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville Jaguars
Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville Jaguars | Perry Knotts/GettyImages

The Jacksonville Jaguars have lacked consistency at the cornerback spot opposite Tyson Campbell this season. That's why it's not particularly surprising to find out that they want to give rookie Deantre Prince a chance to prove what he's got with the offseason inching closer.

WIth three games left on the season, the Jags are planning to give Prince more spans on defense. He hasn't seen the field much, but head coach Doug Pederson says the team is going to give the rookie corner more playing time with the hope that he can build off of it.

"I think it's gonna be great for him regardless of the number of snaps," Pederson told the media when asked what his plan for Prince is. "Hopefully, he gets the next couple of games, he gets quite a few, and it gives us an insight to who the player is and who Trey is. He works hard in practice and it's an opportunity to go play."

Pederson continued, "It gives the player a lot of confidence if he can go out and play, play well, right, and do some good things. And then for us too, it kind of gives us, again, that insight to know how can this player help us. In Trey's case, in the future, and where can we use him on defense, so these next few weeks for a lot of our young players, it's just that great opportunity for them."

Later in the exchange with the press corps, Pederson cites Montaric "Buster" Brown as an example of a player who made the most out of his playing time as a rookie.

"I think that's a great example, a guy that's worked hard. He was kind of thrust into action and has really embraced it. And he's another one that's elevated his game, but again, it just doesn't happen. Buster works at it. He works at it. He works hard in practice, and he's hard on himself. He's coachable, and that's what's made him a really good player for us and I think he just is going to continue to learn, continue to grow, continue to get better. That's a good sign for a young player," Pederson said.

A fifth-round pick in this year's draft, Prince has only appeared on 39 defensive snaps this season, and there have been games this season where he hasn't gotten any playing time despite being healthy. This will be a chance to prove he deserves a bigger role.

A starter for nearly all of his three years at Ole Miss, Prince has the speed and size to play cornerback in the NFL. However, his technique to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage needed work. Similarly, he didn't always play with aggressiveness during his stint with the Rebels and his foot. That said, it's possible that the Charleston, Mississippi native worked on that since joining the Jags. In fact, that's probably why the coaching staff wants to give him more playing time.

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to find a long-term answer at CB oppossite Tyson Campbell

The Jaguars didn't hesitate to give Tyson Campbell a four-year deal worth $76.5 million in the offseason because they know they don't have to worry about one cornerback spot with him on the fold. Having said that, the team's brass hasn't had much luck finding someone on the opposite side of the field who can hold his own.

The past two years, they had Darious Williams but they didn't think he was worth the $11 million he was slated to make in 2024, so they released him to free up cap space in the offseason.

The issue with releasing Williams is that they thought that Ronald Darby, a free-agency acquisition, was going to be a capable replacement, but that hasn't been the case. The former Florida Seminole has struggled this season, which led to his benching in favor of Montaric Brown.

And while Brown has played much better than Darby, he still has his work cut out to earn a featured role. That's paved the way for Prince to get his chance. Having said that, expectations should be tempered.

As promising as Prince is, there's a reason he was a Day 3 selection in the draft. Sure, he may be able to hone his skills but that doesn't mean he'll turn into a starter. On the other hand, he could develop into a dependable reserve.

Ultimately, the Jacksonville Jaguars don't have much to play for in what's left of the season, so seeing what they have in Deantre Prince and other players makes sense.

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