Jaguars Select Georgia CB Tyson Campbell At No. 33 Overall In 2021 NFL Draft
After taking two offensive playmakers in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars have begun a focus on the defensive side of the ball, selecting Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell with the first pick in the second round, at No. 33 overall.
Campbell is a product of American Heritage High School in South Florida, a NFL factory in its own right. There, he was coached by former NFL corner Patrick Surtain. As a true freshman in 2018, he accumulated 45 tackles, one pass breakup in 14 appearances, starting 11 games for the Bulldogs. As a sophomore, staring nine games (missing five due to turf toe), Campbell finished with 15 tackles and four pass breakups.
Then as a junior, in a pandemic shortened, All-SEC season, Campbell led the Bulldogs with five pass breakups, along with 29 tackles, 2.5 for loss and one interception.
Campbell's scouting profile reads as someone with more promise than production but a high ceiling, with his mirroring skills on routes needing addressing. He could possibly afford to wait and grow however, due to the current corners on the Jaguars roster.
While a secondary player had often been mocked to the Jaguars at either pick No. 25 or No. 33, few experts or pundits predicted it would be a corner. Campbell will join a unit that features the Jaguars 2020 first-round pick, CJ Henderson, as well as newly signed free agent Pro-Bowler, Shaquill Griffin. The unit also boasts Sidney Jones IV, a free agent signing before the 2020 season who appeared in only eight games due to injury but still led the defense with nine pass breakups.
At nickel, the Jaguars have Tre Herndon, a former starter at outside corner who was shifted inside when former nickel starter D.J. Hayden was injured early in the 2020 season.
Former General Manager Dave Caldwell also grabbed corners Josiah Scott, Chris Claybrooks and Luq Barcoo in last year's draft. As such, corner itself hasn't been presumed to be a huge area of need in this year's draft early on, however, it should be noted of the six different corners who started at corner in 2020, all but Tre Herndon missed time either with injury or on the inactive list.
Another thing of possible note, when former Jaguar Kevin Hardy read the pick, the card turned in by the Jaguars mentioned Campbell as a DB (defensive back) versus strictly a corner. With the lack of depth in safety, keep an eye on the possibility of Campbell moving around in the secondary.
Head Coach Urban Meyer hinted to reporters on Thursday night after round one that the club was looking at running back, safety and corner all at pick No. 25. The Jags eventually drafted Clemson Tigers running back Travis Etienne at the spot, reuniting him with his college teammate and the Jaguars No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be back on the clock tonight at picks 45 and 65.
