Jaguars escape season-altering disaster for rookie Jarrian Jones

Injuries are an inherent part of football, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating to see a player get hurt and miss extended time. Fortunately for the Jacksonville Jaguars, they can rest easy after watching rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones, an offseason standout, go down with an ankle injury on Day 3 of training camp.

Jones was in the portion of practice when he hurt his ankle. He left with his helmet in his hand. He was then checked by the training camp. After spending time on the sidelines, he resumed practice.

John Shipley of Sports Illustrated had an exchange with Jones afterward and pointed out that players who suffer serious injuries don't usually do that, implying that the rookie cornerback was ok.

The Jags selected Jones 96th overall in this year's draft. They were expected to add a cornerback in the first two rounds but instead opted to take care of other needs. They got flak for overlooking the position. However, the decision looks much better in retrospect because the Mississippi, Magee had a strong outing early in the offseason and his performance has carried over into the regular season.

In fact, Jones' encouraging development might be a reason why the Jaguars have chosen not to make further additions to the cornerback room despite the fact that the consensus thinks it remains a need ahead of the 2024 season.

Head coach Doug Pederson said early in the offseason that he expected Jones to either line up in the slot or have a reserve role to start the regular season. That said, the former Florida State Seminole could be vying for a featured role early in 2024 if he builds momentum. Avoiding serious injury early in training camp will surely help.

Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell is also dealing with an ankle injury

While losing Jarrian Jones would most definitely sting, the Jaguars have enough depth at cornerback to overcome his potential absence. Veteran Ronald Darby has also made plays in practice and will tentatively start opposite Tyson Campbell in Week 1.

Speaking of Campbell he's been limited to position drills in practice while dealing with an ankle injury. The Jaguars surely hope it's not a big deal, especially after giving him a historic contract extension before the beginning of training camp. The good news is that the season is still more than a month away, so he'll have ample time to get back at full strength.

It's also worth noting that if Campbell isn't able to partake in team drills, the coaching staff will be able to evaluate other players at the position. Ideally, the former Georgia Bulldog would be practicing with his teammates but there's at least a silver lining.

Ultimately, the Jacksonville Jaguars need Jarrian Jones, Ronald Darby, and Tyson Campbell to be around for the regular season. They were under scrutiny for not making more additions to their cornerback room in the offseason, but if all three stay healthy, the position could turn into a strength in 2024.

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