Jaguars' 2021 NFL draft class aging well in light of the Tyson Campbell extension

Cornerback Tyson Campell to a four-year contract extension worth $76.5 million, making him the second player the Jacksonville Jaguars selected in the 2021 NFL Draft that gets a long-term deal. Looking back, the Jags hit several home runs that year, and it's a big reason they've had consecutive back-to-back winning seasons.

Before Campbell got a deal that makes him the highest-paid cornerback without Pro Bowl or All-Pro designations, Trevor Lawrence got a five-year, $275 million contract that makes him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.

Campbell, the 33rd overall pick in 2021, has appeared in 43 games with 42 starts, logging six interceptions, two forced fumbles and 30 passes defensed. The consensus saw the Plantation, Florida native as a top 10 cornerback in 2022. However, injuries hindered his performance. Nevertheless, the Jaguars' brass saw him as an important piece to their long-term success.

Lawrence, on the other hand, was the first overall selection in 2021. He struggled as a rookie but got significantly better once head coach Doug Pederson took the reins. The former Clemson Tiger played like a top-10 quarterback to finish the 2022 season and was responsible for one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history when Jacksonville erased a 27-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Super Wild Card Weekend.

But as pivotal as Lawrence and Campbell have been and will be for the Jags, they're not the only members of their 2021 NFL Draft that have made an impact. Running back Travis Etienne is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Andre Cisco has become a mainstay of the secondary and is seen as a potential candidate to break out in 2024.

Walker Little, the 45th overall pick in 2021, hasn't been able to seize a starting role but he's fared well when called upon. He'll have a chance to compete with Cam Robinson for the left tackle job in 2024's training camp. Former fifth-round pick Luke Fortner doesn't get nearly as much attention but he's carved a niche as a dependable blocker.

The Jaguars are build to last partly because of the 2021 NFL Draft class

The Jaguars made nine picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. Only three of them are no longer with the team: Jalen Camp (sixth-round), Jay Tufele (fourth-round), and Jordan Smith (fourth-round). When you take into account that the other six have gone on to contribute, the class was a resounding success. If Walker Little shows out or Andre Cisco and Travis Etienne have career years, which is a legitimate possibility, it will look even better.

It's easy to forget now but nearly every position group was a need for the Jaguars ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. Years of poor roster management left the team devoid of talent. Trevor Lawrence was going to go first overall, regardless of who held the top pick. That said, Trent Baalke deserves a bit of praise for taking a few risks.

The Jags already had former first-round pick C.J. Henderson in the fold. On top of that, they had re-signed Sidney Jones and brought in Shaquill Griffin in free agency. Yet, they took Tyson Campbell. Similarly, they went with Travis Etienne at No. 25 despite the fact that James Robinson was coming off an amazing rookie season. Then in the third round, the Jags took a flyer on Andre Cisco even though they had just signed Rayshawn Jenkins. All those picks ended up paying off.

The bottom line is that giving Tyson Campbell a long-term deal is yet another sign that the Jaguars hit it out of the ballpark with their 2021 NFL Draft haul.

More Jaguars analysis here: