Do the Jaguars Have a Solution for Their Secondary Woes?

Shaquill Griffin And Co. Have Been Lackluster At Right Cornerback

One of the biggest problems that has stood out with the Jaguars defense this year has been the cornerback play opposite of Tyson Campbell. While it may lead to impressive stats for Campbell who is rarely targeted, the opposite side of the field has frequently been carved up. I believe that this has led to so many of the defensive issues. The Jaguars are currently tied for 28th in sacks while having a very respectable number of pressures. When the secondary plays better, quarterbacks are required to take more time to throw which leads to a much larger amount of pressures converting to sacks.

Early in the season, Shaquill Griffin was arguably the worst starter across the entire team, being taken advantage of constantly by opposing offenses and even leading to losses. Terry McLaurin noted his poor coverage skills during the season opener which led to the Commanders' receiving corps exposing his play en route to their first victory. They were able to do exactly that. Then in Week 6, the Indianapolis Colts were able to burn Shaquill Griffin multiple times late in the game to take back the lead and defeat the Jaguars. Shortly after this game, Shaquill Griffin was diagnosed with a back injury and has been on the Injured Reserve since.

Montaric Brown and Tevaughn Campbell have split the starting role at right cornerback for multiple games now and have simply not been good enough. Brown projected to the NFL as a boundary cornerback, so it's not an ideal option to swap him into the slot cornerback role. However, the Jaguars have moved one player there already who is extremely talented and should be playing on the boundary.

The Jaguars Already Have An Obvious Choice At Right Cornerback

It's easy for fans to forget that the Jaguars signed one of the best cornerbacks available in free agency. Darious Williams, a Jacksonville native who chose to take a cheaper deal to come to Duval County, has been more of a rotational player this year and primarily lined up in the slot. Although he's not been as good this season, I think it's a huge mistake by the Jaguars to not move him outside. Darious Williams was one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL last season and part of a fearsome Los Angeles Rams secondary. It's clear that the Jaguars have a need at the position that can't be filled by any other player on the roster, so why not move him back to his natural position?

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a clear answer to why Darious Williams hasn't been moved to the boundary. Perhaps the Jaguars think he's their best option in the slot and would prefer to develop Montaric Brown, but I don't think that's enough reason. If I was in Mike Caldwell's shoes, I would move Darious Williams to the boundary and make your intentions clear that he's the long-term starter there. I would move Montaric Brown into the slot along with other players you feel comfortable with and even consider doing some three safety looks with one operating in the nickel. It would be a much better issue to need a nickel corner than need a boundary corner.

Should The Jaguars Sign Or Draft A Boundary Corner In 2023

I think that the Jaguars would need to address cornerback through the draft based on their cap situation, and I think they still have to draft the best available player which may not be at the cornerback position. Starting Darious Williams at right cornerback would be a huge step towards assessing the long-term situation at cornerback. If he moves there and excels then I would be searching for a nickel corner, but if he was underwhelming then I would be finding a young talent to add to the roster.

There's an argument to be made that even Darious Williams moved to the boundary and played great football that the Jaguars should still invest a high pick in a cornerback. Injuries are a constant plague to NFL rosters that force players to be elevated and the increase in competition pushes players to be their best. If the Jaguars chose to draft a cornerback in this scenario I wouldn't fault them at all.

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