How Could the Signing of Darqueze Dennard Affect the Jaguars’ Draft Plans?
One of the key sticking points when discussing the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason needs in recent weeks has been the priority of adding cornerback depth. Following the trade of A.J. Bouye this month and the departure of Jalen Ramsey in October, the team was left relatively barren at the position.
The only two cornerbacks returning to the Jaguars in 2020 who started multiple games last year are Tre Herndon, a third-year corner who just finished his first season as a starter, and D.J. Hayden, the team's veteran slot cornerback.
Jacksonville took one step toward remedying this issue last week during the first wave of the free agency period, signing veteran cornerback Darqueze Dennard to a three-year contract.
While Dennard has been primarily a slot cornerback during his six years with the Cincinnati Bengals, the 2014 first-round pick has some experience playing on the outside, and it appears that is the role he will play for the Jaguars in 2020.
“We feel really good about his skill level to play outside,” head coach Doug Marrone said following the signing. “He’s a press corner and wants to play outside. He wants to prove that he can do it, and we believe that he can, so it was a good fit for us. D.J. Hayden is our starting nickel corner. I talked to D.J., and we’re extremely happy with him in that spot.”
Before the Jaguars inked Dennard to a three-year, $13.5 million deal, many pegged the team as a leading candidate to leave the first round of April's NFL Draft with a cornerback.
With the Jaguars filling the need for a veteran cornerback, could this impact how the Jaguars attack the 2020 NFL Draft? It is a layered question, but the easiest answer may be somewhere in between the typical yes and no options.
Dennard has historically been much more effective in the slot than on the outside due to average ball skills and his lack of long speed. The Jaguars clearly like his fit for their scheme on the outside, but it remains to be seen just how truly impactful he can be in a boundary or field cornerback spot for Jacksonville. His past track record indicates he can be serviceable at the position, though unspectacular.
The contract the Jaguars gave Dennard, which contains only $6 million in guarantees, indicates the Jaguars like him enough to give him a chance to compete for a starting job but likely aren't hedging all of their bets on him.
Instead of being handed a starting job across from Herndon from the jump, it is more likely that Dennard will compete with Herndon and whoever else is brought in at the spot. Dennard's history of play on the outside suggests this would be the prudent move, while the Jaguars' minor investment in the veteran suggests it is the probable scenario.
Which brings us to the question of how Dennard could impact the team's draft plans. From the outside looking in, it wouldn't make much sense for the Jaguars to choose not to pick a cornerback within the first two rounds due to the prescence of Dennard.
While Dennard is a solid player with a high floor, the Jaguars still need a high ceiling playmaker at some point. Dennard shouldn't eliminate the possibility of the Jaguars drafting players such as C.J. Henderson or Kristian Fulton with the No. 20 pick, and of course shouldn't take the Jaguars out of the Jeff Okudah sweepstakes.
What Dennard does change though is the Jaguars' insurance policy if they are unable to land Okudah with their first pick or another cornerback at No. 20. Before Dennard was added, the Jaguars had only two starting-caliber cornerbacks on the roster with Herndon and Hayden, creating a desperate need for another body at the position.
If the Jaguars failed to draft an instant impact cornerback and had only Herndon and Hayden waiting in the wings, it could have been a worst-case scenario for the defense. But with Dennard signed, the Jaguars now have a backup plan. If they are unable to land the corner of their choice on day one, or even day two, they can rest easy due to the fact that they have a third experienced and competent corner now on the roster.
Because of the addition of Dennard, the Jaguars are actually set up better for the cornerback market because they now may not have their hand forced when it comes to making a pick. The ideal scenario would be to draft one early, but they have a safety net in the form of Dennard if they are unable to.
Dennard is a solid player who can help a defense. What remains is the question of what his role will look like in 2020, and how else the Jaguars will attack the cornerback position.
While Dennard may not have created a seismic shift for the Jaguars' secondary, he has given them more insurance at the position in case the board falls a certain way in April, which is a win for the Jaguars and general manager Dave Caldwell.