3 bold predictions for Jacksonville Jaguars training camp in 2024

The Jacksonville Jaguars should be hyped up about training camp. Having addressed most of their needs and locking up new contributors, the team's brass will get to assess the roster and prepare for the regular season.

On the other hand, players will be either fighting for jobs or trying not to get bumped down the depth chart. This will make Jaguars training camp ripe for intrigue, and because you should always expect the unexpected, don't be surprised if any of the following three scenarios take place.

The Jaguars will give Andre Cisco a top-market contract

The Jacksonville Jaguars spared no expense to reward their playmakers. They gave left guard Ezra Cleveland a three-year deal worth $24 million after trading for him at the 2022 deadline. The front office then proceeded to give defensive end Josh Allen a contract that reflected his status as one of the top pass rushers in the league. And more recently, they gave Trevor Lawrence a long-term extension that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.

Having taken care of Allen and Lawrence, the Jags will surely turn their attention to safety Andre Cisco. A third-round pick in the 2021 draft, the former Syracuse Orangeman has become a mainstay of the secondary, registering a combined seven interceptions and 15 passes defensed the past two years.

Throughout the offseason, Cisco has been seen as a candidate to break out next season. It's easy to see why. He's gotten progressively better since becoming a full-time starter in 2022. He should take his game to the next level under the tutelage of defensive backs coach Kris Richard.

Richard held the same position with the Seattle Seahawks during the peak of the Legion of Boom. He coached the likes of Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas.

Because an NFC coordinator projects Cisco to have a 30-interception career, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports compared him to Thomas. That's the highest praise a safety can get when you take into account that the former Texas Longhorn made the NFL's 2010 All-Decade team.

If the Jaguars want to avoid overpaying Cisco, they'd better get ahead of the curve and pay him before the start of the season. It's hard to see him getting a contract like the one fellow safety Antoine Winfield Jr. recently got (four years, $84 million) but he could get a better one than Kyle Dugger (four years, $58 million).

Simply put, the longer the Jaguars wait, the higher Cisco's stock and salary demands will go up.

Rookie Jarrian Jones will seize the starting job opposite Tyson Campbell

Even though cornerback has been signaled as a potential weakness for the Jaguars, they're in good shape at the position ahead of training camp. Could the unit use reinforcements? Most definitely. Does it have question marks? You bet, but it's certainly not the need it's portrayed to be. One big reason is the arrival of rookie Jarrian Jones the 96th overall selection in this year's draft.

Back in the offseason, the Jags moved on from Darious Williams in a cap-saving move. He was their best cornerback last year but the $11 million in savings his release created were too good to pass up. To fill the void, general manager Trent Baalke signed Ronald Darby, who played for head coach Doug Pederson early in his career.

Darby will tentatively start opposite Tyson Campbell, who's coming off an injury-marred season but was part of the top-10 conversation at the position in 2022. He's back at full strength and should form an intriguing talent opposite Darby... unless Jones builds off of his encouraging offseason and seizes a starting job.

It's true that Darby is as dependable as they come, having given up just one touchdown reception the past two seasons. That said, he's also struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. If he misses time in training camp, his rookie counterpart will waste no time trying to get ahead of him on the depth chart.

You could make the case that Jacksonville gave Darby a two-year, $8.5 million contract in free agency as a reason why he should start. But even if he becomes CB3 and Jones earns a starting job, keeping him around makes sense. After all, you can never have too many cornerbacks.

The Jaguars will trade Walker Little

The Jaguars have a logjam at offensive tackle. Cam Robinson is slated to return even though the team can free up $17 million if they release him. Sophomore Anton Harrison got much better at right tackle as the 2023 season progressed and could line up on either side if needed.

Walker Little, a 2021 second-round pick, is also back, and the cherry on the top is Javon Foster, a fourth-round selection in this year's draft who's got the tools to become Jacksonville's swing tackle at some point in the future.

With so many options at the position, the Jaguars could afford to move any of their offensive tackles. Robinson has been seen as a trade candidate during the offseason due to his cap hit but Little could have a bigger market. Teams would need to take on the former's $16.5 million salary for 2024 while the latter would cost an affordable $1.5 million.

Another reason Little may garner more interest is that he can play both positions whereas Robinson has lined up at left tackle throughout his career. The Jaguars won't probably get a jaw-dropping offer but teams that suffer an injury or need help at the position might be willing to give up a middle-round selection for him.

When you consider that Jacksonville hasn't been able to find a role for Little despite his talent, they may be receptive to the idea of trading him before the start of the regular season.

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