Jaguars point to discrepancy in Tyson Campbell's PFF grade and spot in top 10 ranking

Tyson Campbell has established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Depending on whom you ask, he may or may not be in the top 10. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus doesn't think he is and that would be perfectly fine if it didn't contradict PFF's own grading system.

Monson recently ranked the top cornerback in the league ahead of the 2023 season and placed Campbell at No. 25, pointing out that the former Georgia Bulldog made strides in his sophomore season.

"After a rookie year of struggles, Campbell had a huge second season, earning an 80.7 PFF coverage grade — more than 20 grading points better than his 2021 mark. Campbell allowed just 9.7 yards per reception and an 86.0 passer rating into his coverage."

As Monson noted, Campbell struggled a bit early in his rookie season but he fared much better once replaced C.J. Henderson opposite Shaquill Griffin outside. He finished the season with a team-high two interceptions and gave the Jaguars a talented cornerback tandem alongside Darious Williams last year. That's not precisely breaking news, what's odd is that even though Campbell's PFF overall grade of 80.8 ranked seventh among cornerbacks in 2022, he didn't crack the top 20, let alone the top 10.

Not everyone on PFF agrees with Monson though. Earlier this year, John Kosko also put together a ranking and made sure to include Campbell, noting that he "finished highly in the PFF voting and boasted impressive marks in PFF grade (80.9) and WAR". Here's what the Jaguars had to say about the omission of Campbell's on Monson's list. As the saying goes, one emoji speaks louder than words.

Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell deserves more recognition as a top corner in the NFL

The fact that Campbell will be playing in the same system for the second straight year should help him improve even more and solidify his spot as one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Last year, he gave up a 54.2 percent completion rate and 9.6 yards per catch. He also registered three interceptions, tied for the most in the team. If the Florida native can sustain that level of play and increase his total number of picks in 2023, he should get more attention from the national media.

Another thing that could help Campbell gain more notoriety is that the Jaguars are set to be a playoff contender. If they live up to expectations and make a deep playoff run, many of their players will get the recognition they deserve.

After struggling to win games for most of the 2010s, the Jacksonville Jaguars can be mentioned in the same breath as the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, two of the best teams in the NFL. And if they can pile up wins in 2023, more attention will inevitably come. This will in turn help players such as Tyson Campbell earn a bigger profile.