In spite of their success in 2025, the Jacksonville Jaguars aren't resting on their laurels. They know they'll need to add reinforcements to the roster if they want to defend their AFC South title and make the playoffs again next season. Among the many positions the Jags need to bolster, cornerback arguably sits at the top.
While Jacksonville had a solid cornerback room last year, its lack of top-end talent was exposed in the playoff loss to the Bills. After the season ended, the team dismissed defensive backs coach Ron Milus and hired Mathieu Araujo to replace him.
Although Araujo will get to coach Travis Hunter, he will also have his work cut out because the Jaguars could need as many as two cornerbacks if Greg Newsome and Montaric Brown leave in free agency.
The good news is that there will be plenty of cornerback talent on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, and Jacksonville could get Araujo the ideal prospect to work with.
The Jaguars could give Keith Abney to Mathieu Araujo on a silver platter
The Jaguars don't have a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading up to select Travis Hunter last year. However, they still have their second, the 56th overall. They could use that pick to address one of their top needs: Defensive tackle, the pass rush, or cornerback.
If the Jags want to add a corner at No. 56, Keith Abney II would be the perfect choice. Matt Miller of ESPN had them going with Keionte Scott in his latest mock.
While Scott is an enticing prospect, he's a better fit in the slot. It wouldn't make sense to pick him because Jacksonville already has nickels Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis. Abney would be a better pick because he played in the boundaries at Arizona State. On top of that, he can play zone or man coverage. That kind of flexibility would make him an ideal fit in Jacksonville.
While Daniel Harms of the Bleacher Report has Abney going in Round 3, the Carolina Panthers selected him with the 51st overall selection in Miller's mock. Depending on how the draft unfolds, there's a strong chance he would still be available when the Jags are on the board.
Why the Jaguars may want to draft Keith Abney II
Drane Brugler of The Athletic did an NFL mock draft last December in which the Jaguars rolled with Keith Abney, so the ideal isn't necessarily far-fetched, especially when you take into account that Jacksonville may turn to the draft to make upgrades at cornerback.
NFL analysts have suggested the Jags trade for either Marlon Humphrey or Trent McDuffie. Both are fine corners, but Jacksonville would need to take on their salary and compensate their respective teams. That may not be feasible because the Jaguars have other needs and probably won't have much cap space this offseason.
Of course, Humphrey and McDuffie are proven commodities. However, the former is coming off a down year, and the latter mostly lines up in the slot. Jacksonville would need a starter in the boundaries, and Abney definitely fits the bill.
The Jaguars will have no shortage of options to bolster the cornerback position, but choosing Keith Abney II may make the most sense because they wouldn't have to give up draft picks or give him an extension.