Jaguars Training Camp Battles to Watch: No. 2 Cornerback Spot
With NFL training camps set to kick off on July 28, it is time to examine which training camp battles will be the most hotly contested once the Jacksonville Jaguars hit the field again.
For the Jaguars, 2020 represents a year of transition. A new offensive scheme, Gardner Minshew II taking the reigns of the offense on a full-time basis and an overhauled roster that is now one of the youngest and most inexperienced in the league.
Once training camp rolls around, the Jaguars will have to short out the best way to field 22 starters in Week 1 vs. the Indianapolis Colts. Who should start at key positions such as cornerback, wide receiver, offensive tackle and more?
In an effort to gauge which training camp battles will be the most noteworthy and likely the hardest fought, we are going to take a look at the upcoming competition for the starting cornerback position across from presumptive starter CJ Henderson.
Cornerback: Tre Herndon vs. Rashaan Melvin
Jacksonville was always going to enter this season with question marks at cornerback following trades that sent away Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, the team's mainstays in the secondary for a little more than two seasons.
One of the two question marks surrounding the 2020 starting defense was likely answered on the first night of the 2020 NFL Draft, however, when Jacksonville took Henderson with the No. 9 overall pick. While the Jaguars have predictably not said they view Henderson as a day one starter, citing competition in training camp, it is clear the team took Henderson in the top-10 so he could contribute right away.
"Well, I think, you know, we want both of them to be plugged in the first game and playing a majority of the reps," Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash told local media in June about Henderson and No. 20 overall pick K'Lavon Chaisson.
"We know that they have the physical skills to play at this level, obviously, you know, both of them being drafted in the first round. But we anticipate both of them to be solid impact players for us, you know, week one. Once again, we're going to figure a lot more about that once we get on grass in training camp, but both of them physically have the abilities to be impact players early in their career."
But the question still remains of who will start across from Henderson on Sundays. With D.J. Hayden set to start at the nickel position, the most likely options to complement Henderson are third-year cornerback Tre Herndon and veteran free agent signing Rashaan Melvin.
Herndon, a former undrafted free agent who signed with Jacksonville out of Vanderbilt in 2018, started 14 games for the Jaguars in 2019 following the Ramsey saga. In his first year as a starter Herndon led the team in interceptions (three) and pass deflections (13) while allowing just a 46.3% completion rate in coverage, forcing opposing quarterbacks to have just a 69.4 passer rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Reference.
Meanwhile, Melvin has been in the league since 2013, starting 40 games for the Ravens, Colts, Raiders and Lions in the process, including 12 games for Detroit in 2019. He has recorded four interceptions, 41 pass deflections, three forced fumbles and four tackles for loss in his career, with 11 of those deflections coming in 2019.
Herndon has the upside to continue to get better in a starting role, and he flashed legitimate talent throughout 2019. Starting him across from Henderson would give the Jaguars a relatively young starting cornerback duo, but it would also give the Jaguars some continuity in the secondary since the only newcomer in that event would be Henderson.
Considering the difficulties teams will likely face when it comes to preparation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps having experience within defensive coordinator Todd Wash's scheme and under cornerbacks coach Tim Walton, as well as with Hayden and safeties Ronnie Harrison and Jarrod Wilson, could give Herndon a leg up when it comes to being prepared for the 2020 season.
“It can definitely help because we all know each other’s tendencies. We know how to communicate with each other. We know how to help each other," Herndon said of the secondary's chemistry in April.
"I feel like having that chemistry in the DB room as the years go on definitely can be nothing but a positive when we go into scenarios and games and stuff that we’ve seen before, those same guys on the field to be able to communicate and handle it with ease.”
Melvin, however, is more of a veteran presence. There is an argument to be made that he has simply seen more during his career, which could provide comfort to the Jaguars' coaching staff with a rookie cornerback set to start across from whoever has the No. 2 cornerback spot.
“We’re really excited to add Rashaan to our secondary as he’ll compete at the outside cornerback position,” head coach Doug Marrone said after the team signed Melvin in March. “He’s an experienced player and has produced at a high level in this league. He has good size and speed and does a great job of competing play-in and play-out and challenging the receiver at the catch. We’re excited to add him to our roster.”
Whether the Jaguars want to lean toward upside and continuity or veteran experience when it comes to whoever starts across from Henderson remains to be seen, but look for this to be one of the more competitive and important positon battles for the Jaguars once camp does roll around.
