For the most part, the Jacksonville Jaguars sat out free agency. However, they did re-sign some of their own players. Of the bunch, cornerback Montaric Brown is the one who probably stands the most, and it's easy to see why the Jags made an effort to bring him back.
Brown, a seventh-round pick in 2023, flourished under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, registering a career-best two interceptions and 12 passes defensed. He parlayed his banner year into a three-year deal worth $31.5 million.
It's fair to assume that Brown could be even better in his second year in Campanile's system. Defensive backs coach Mathieu Araujo just landed in Jacksonville early in 2026 and is already impressed with the fourth-year cornerback.
Montaric Brown could be even better for the Jaguars next season
Mathiew Araujo says that Monatri Brown has intriguing tools, adding that he's played lots of off coverage in the offseason.
"I think when you watch him from last year, and you saw a guy who was extremely confident playing through his strengths is what we continue to push forward," Araujo said via 1010 XL. "He's got great length when he's on the line of scrimmage, he can do a great job getting his hands on. He's got really good feet for a bigger guy too. So, we could work off angles."
Araujo continued, "Off coverage wasn't something he was asked to do a lot, and I've had a lot of experience coaching both press and off, but have an opportunity now to really just start from bare bones and build a foundation in the stuff that he might not have had a lot of experience in, so off coverage specifically, he's worked really hard at, if you guys are out there at practice, you've seen him make a lot of, a lot of great plays on the ball from off."
"He's extremely, extremely talented, and he's just poised, like everything he does is poised; you don't see any panic in his game. It's really just taking that and then giving him the tools when he is playing off and when he's playing in space, so he can use his strengths to be able to get the ball back."
Araujo replaced Ron Milus as the defensive backs coach. Regardless of the reasons the Jags moved on from Milus, his position group generally performed well, so everyone, including Brown, should improve under Araujo.
Montaric Brown is a staple of the Jaguars defense
Of all the Jaguars' draft picks in 2022, you will be hard-pressed to find someone who thought Travon Walker and Montaric Brown would be the only ones left in 2026, but that's how things played out.
What makes Brown success more impressive is the fact that he was inconsistent early in his career, but the Jags stuck with him, and their patience paid off. Now, the former Arkansas Razorback is embarking on his fifth season in Duval.
The truth is that Montaric Brown probably doesn't come to mind first when discussing integral pieces on the Jacksonville defense. Yet, he's developed into a fixture of the secondary, and nobody will bat an eye if he's even better than he was last year.
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