Jaguars State of the Roster: Cornerback

The Jaguars entered 2023 with a lot of hope in their cornerback room. Tyson Campbell was coming off of a fantastic 2022 and Darious Williams’ switch from nickel to outside did wonders for his game. 

In a twist of fate, it was Williams who ended up having the career year in 2023, while Campbell’s injuries kept him from playing like his former self. Now, with new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, the Jaguars will likely switch to a man heavy scheme.

What is the state of the Jaguars’ cornerback position?

Under Contract

Darious Williams

Age: 30.

Experience: 6 seasons/80 appearances/55 starts

2023 Production: 53 tackles, 19 pass deflections and four interceptions.

Darious Williams caught fire in late 2022 and has been cooking offenses ever since. The move to outside corner has proved to be one of the Jags’ most impactful coaching decisions. Last season, Williams finished among the best in pass deflections, interceptions, and NFL rating allowed.

Williams was especially lethal in zone coverage where the Jaguars corner allowed an NFL rating of just 62.8, according to Pro Football Focus. He carries a lofty price tag into 2024, however, the position gets very thin, very quickly if the Jaguars were to move on from Williams. Nonetheless, I expect this group to look very different in 2025 and we likely see the start of that change this offseason.

Tyson Campbell

Age: 23.

Experience: 3 seasons/43 appearances/42 starts

2023 Production: 60 tackles, five pass deflections and one interception.

Tyson Campbell had a disappointing 2023 campaign by all accounts. His struggles with injuries kept him from ever getting on track. Still, it must be said that it was a down year for the Jaguars’ star corner. With a move towards a more man coverage focused defense, it will be interesting to see how Campbell adapts. He’s predominantly been a better zone coverage corner.

Regardless, Campbell’s proven he is a good player and I expect a bounceback season from the former Georgia Bulldog. A new defensive scheme might be just what he needs to return to his former 2022 self. He’ll likely have much of the same secondary around him with maybe a new starting piece or two.

Montaric Brown

Age: 24.

Experience: 2 seasons/20 appearances/7 starts

2023 Production: 34 tackles, four pass deflections and zero interceptions.

What an opportunity 2023 was for Montaric Brown. Brown quickly maneuvered his way to becoming the Jaguars’ primary backup cornerback, and, generally speaking, performed quite well. He made a game-saving pass deflection against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football and had some other nice plays as well.

The Jaguars likely seek out cornerback help this offseason, whether in free agency or through the draft. It might become difficult for Brown to see the same amount of snaps in 2024 as he did this past season, especially if the starters can remain healthy. That said, the loss of Tre Herndon to free agency could open some doors. It’s difficult to say what to expect from Montaric Brown until after the offseason. I will say, he’s an exciting young player with a bright future.

Christian Braswell

Age: 24.

Experience: 1 seasons/3 appearances/0 starts

2023 Production: Zero tackles, zero pass deflections and zero interceptions.

Speaking of youth with bright futures, Christian Braswell. Braswell, a 2023 6th-round selection from Rutgers, was a preseason star before his season ended in tragedy, following an early season hamstring injury. I expect the Jaguars’ cornerback room to get fairly crowded, but Braswell is young and has loads of potential.

Amani Oruwariye

Age: 28.

Experience: 5 seasons/54 appearances/36 starts

2023 Production: Zero tackles, zero pass deflections and zero interceptions.

Penn State’s Amani Oruwariye was one of the darlings of the 2019 NFL draft. Unfortunately, he fell to the 5th round being selected by the Detroit Lions. He’s had a solid career and has many starts over the course of his five-year career. Now, in Jacksonville, he looks to lock himself up a roster spot in a competitive defensive back group.

Tevaughn Campbell

Age: 30.

Experience: 4 seasons/37 appearances/11 starts

2023 Production: Zero tackles, zero pass deflections and zero interceptions.

Tevaughn Campbell has held a spot in Jacksonville for two seasons now, and while he hasn’t made too big of an impact, he has filled in at times on defense and special teams. Unfortunately, he did have an ugly mishap where he ran into Jamal Agnew on a punt return against the Saints. He’ll have to make a case for himself in camp and through preseason to hold off the new signings and draftees come time.

Free Agents

Tre Herndon

Age: 27.

Experience: 6 seasons/83 appearances/34 starts

2023 Production: 46 tackles, nine pass deflections and zero interceptions.

One of the longest-tenured Jaguars has hit free agency, cornerback Tre Herndon. Herndon’s been in Jacksonville for six seasons, starting 34 games. His impact has been much greater, however, as he has been the team's primary nickel corner over the last two seasons.

Herndon’s been one of the team’s most reliable and consistent players. He’ll never be a premier cover corner, however, his availability, experience and versatility have kept him around for as long as it has. He likely had his best year yet this past season. Sadly, it might be farewell in Jacksonville for Herndon.

Chris Claybrooks

Age: 25.

Experience: 3 seasons/46 appearances/6 starts

2023 Production: Zero tackles, zero pass deflections and zero interceptions.

Chris Claybrooks, similar to Montaric Brown, has filled in starts at times due to injury and even has seen time as a return man. That said, his snaps have decreased each of the last two seasons and it looks as though his time in Jacksonville has come to an end. His special teams play should keep teams interested this offseason.

Gregory Junior

Age: 24.

Experience: 2 seasons/10 appearances/0 starts

2023 Production: 11 tackles, one pass deflection and zero interceptions

Gregory Junior rose to fame after an impressive Senior Bowl showing, prompting the Jaguars to pull the trigger on him with their 6th-round selection in 2022. Last preseason, Junior impressed many and looked to compete for the team’s primary backup corner spot. Unfortunately, it never came to be as Junior’s Week 1 hamstring injury placed him on the IR. It’s exceedingly rare for a free agent to be this young. I’d expect a team to pull the trigger on Junior again.