Where the Jaguars’ Secondary Stands Now: Cornerback Room Has a New Alpha

Arguably no unit has seen more change in the past calendar year for the Jacksonville Jaguars than the corner unit. In the first of a two part series examining the secondary, we take a look at the corner room to evaluate where it stands three weeks ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Following the rush of NFL free agency signings, the Jacksonville Jaguars secondary remains an enigma; front-loaded with a few big names and content to build the backend around two to three pillars. 

There are still areas ripe for improvement in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, but it’s also a section of the roster that received a ton of attention in recent drafts and free agency.

So following the opening of the free agent market this 2021 offseason, and in preparation for the draft, we examine where the Jaguars’ secondary currently stands. First we look at cornerback.

Arguably no unit has seen more change in the past two years than the cornerback unit. After losing Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, corner was the first position the previous regime addressed in the 2020 NFL Draft, taking Florida corner CJ Henderson at No. 9 overall in the first round. 

In fact, with the franchise-record 12 picks in last year's draft, three were corners: Henderson, Josiah Scott, and Chris Claybrooks. Furthermore, due to injuries, all saw significant playing time with Henderson, Claybrooks, and also undrafted rookie Luq Barcoo all starting at various times.

This will be a valuable experience well to tap in to moving forward, considering the relative youth of the group. But a young unit—no matter how potentially talented—still needs a leader, so that’s what the Jaguars addressed in free agency. 

Their biggest get off the market was former Seattle Seahawk, Shaquill Griffin. The former third round pick out of UCF spent the past four years learning under some of the game’s best in route to accumulating 248 tackles, 48 passes defensed (tied for the 10th most in the NFL between 2017-20) and six interceptions in his 57 games for the Hawks (53 starts).

Now in Jacksonville, Griffin knows this unit is his to lead.

“I learned so much from Seattle, I know what it takes to be a leader, I know how to talk to certain players, coach them up to their own personal way,” Griffin explained to local media upon his signing.

“I have no problem taking that pressure upon myself to be that guy that everybody looks up to. I’ve been there before, so it’s nothing new. I love that pressure, if anybody can take the pressure off somebody else’s back, I’ve always been that guy that’ll try to take it.

“So, I’m excited for the challenge, but at the end of the day, I’m going to compete at everything that I do, and I want those guys to be able to trust me and see that. And I’ll let them know that I can be a leader and a person you can count on in the secondary to put us in some great positions to be great as a secondary. We’re trying to be number one, so that’s always the goal and that’s what we’re going to do.”

The unit is rounded out with starters Sidney Jones IV and Tre Herndon. The NFL Players Association just released numbers showing that for the second year in a row Herndon was the Jaguars highest-earning player for “performance-based pay,” meaning his playing time far exceeded what it was predicted to be based on his original contract. 

The former undrafted free agent started all but two games in which he played, also taking over nickel duties when D.J. Hayden was injured. With Hayden now on the free agent market, the role could be Herndon’s to lock down.

Jones was a former second-round pick from Philadelphia who was added to the Jaguars' roster before the start of last regular season. He managed to lead the Jags in passes defended (nine) while nabbing two interceptions and causing a third, despite only playing in eight games due to injury.

While there is always room in the draft to take quality players, the Jaguars’ corner unit is solid heading into the 2021 season, thanks to a year worth of rebuilding.