Jaguars Sign Rookies Collin Johnson, Tyler Davis to Contracts

Jacksonville now has three of its 12 draft picks officially signed to their rookie contracts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially inked two more rookies to their new NFL contracts as the team announced Thursday they had signed wide receiver Collin Johnson and tight end Tyler Davis. 

Johnson and Davis bring Jacksonville's total number of rookie signings to three, with the duo joining fourth-round linebacker Shaquille Quarterman, who signed on May 22. Jacksonville now has signed three of their 12 draft picks to their rookie deals. 

Jacksonville selected Johnson in the fourth round of April's draft with the No. 165 overall pick. The 6-foot-6 receiver brings a skill set to Jacksonville's offense that no other receiver on the roster has, suggesting he could make an impact in a niche role sooner than later.

Johnson was a four-year contributor at Texas, finishing his Longhorn career with 2,624 yards (fifth-most in UT history) and 15 touchdowns on 188 receptions. He missed six games his senior year with a hamstring injury, finishing second on the team in receiving production. He led the receiving corps as a sophomore when he averaged 58.8 yards per game. As a junior, Johnson set a Big 12 Championship Game-record with 177 receiving yards on nine catches with a touchdown in the title game against Oklahoma.

“We're looking at him and looking at the numbers and looking at what he did in 2018, obviously had a great year, got a little hampered going into his last year there," head coach Doug Marrone said after the Jaguars drafted Johnson. "It's different than what we have; he's a guy that's 6-6, 222 pounds, he can run real well, just a different element."

Davis was selected out of Georgia Tech in the sixth round with the No. 206 overall pick. He is expected to provide depth to a tight end group which has an abundance of question marks and extensive injury histories surrounding it, meaning Davis may be relied on earlier in his career than most would expect from a sixth-round rookie tight end. 

As a senior, Davis (6-foot-4, 250-pounds) recorded 17 receptions for 148 yards and one touchdown on the season. He served primarily as a run and pass blocker, while also serving on the specials teams units.

"But yeah, obviously, here's a guy that has a great skill set. He was a quarterback coming out of high school and was at Connecticut and transferred to Georgia Tech. And I've got a kid that I coached when I was at Georgia Tech, went back and he’s a line coach there and loves him," Marrone said after Davis was drafted. 

"A couple of other people: Corey Edsall, Randy Edsall’s son, was at Connecticut when he was there; we texted, [and he] really loved the kid. So I'm excited. He has a great opportunity in front of him. He has the ability to do it, and we'll see if he's good enough.”