NFL Draft: Takeaways on Jaguars' Selection of Georgia CB Tyson Campbell
The Jacksonville Jaguars have added another high-upside athlete to the roster in Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell, taking the former top recruit with the No. 33 overall pick on Friday night.
What will Campbell bring to the team and what does his fit with the Jaguars say about the future of the team's defense? We take a look below.
The Jaguars swung for upside and scheme fit
The Jaguars went for a high-upside/high-risk pick at No. 25 with Clemson running back Travis Etienne, but they felt comfortable enough doing so considering their plan for him and how he fits into their offensive structure. The Jaguars made a similar pick here at No. 33 with Tyson Campbell, another pick that presents a low floor but also a considerably high ceiling.
Campbell is a long and speedy cornerback who makes sense for the type of defense the Jaguars are set to deploy, but he also has some clear red flags. According to Mockdraftable, Campbell's height ranks in the 81st percentile and his arm length is in the 71st percentile. His best trait other than his size is his speed, with him recording a 4.40 40-yard dash (84th percentile) with a 2.51 20-yard split (89th percentile). With that said, his agility drills and general fluidity aren't as impressive. His short shuttle of 4.45 is in just the 2nd percentile (!!!) and is one of the slowest shuttle scores of any drafted cornerback in the last 21 years.
Campbell is at his best at the line of scrimmage, using his length, speed, and patience to disrupt routes and mirror downfield. For a defense set to run a lot of press coverage in 2021, Campbell is a natural fit at outside cornerback. He doesn't make sense for every scheme, but he does for the Jaguars', which helps offset a little bit of the risks and loss in value that come with the pick.
The Campbell selection creates an interesting situation at outside/slot cornerback
The Jaguars were able to hypothetically give former first-round CJ Henderson a running mate in free agent cornerback Shaquill Griffin. But the addition of Campbell creates a completely different situation. Instead, the clock has now begun on Henderson and his ability to make an impact with the Jaguars at the scale deserving of a No. 9 overall pick. Henderson has the skill set to play inside thanks to his quickness, but do you play a former No. 9 pick in the slot?
Perhaps we get more clarity from the Jaguars at the end of the night, but tonight Campbell became the second major investment the Jaguars have made in a cornerback this offseason. And Henderson wasn't even a draft pick by the current regime, whereas Griffin and Campbell were both hand-picked by head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke. Henderson, Campbell and Griffin can co-exist, but it will be fascinating to see how it all plays out.
Which NFL player Campbell may remind the Jaguars of
Why do I think the Jaguars selected Tyson Campbell? I ultimately think the Jaguars likely see similar traits in him that some of their top defensive coaches saw in Baltimore's secondary over the last several years. Campbell isn't too similar to Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey in terms of athletic testing, he has similar height and length and excels in many of the same areas that have made Humphrey one of the NFL's best cornerbacks.
Both are best using their length to play receivers at the line of scrimmage. They don't get their internal clocks sped up, never letting a receiver rush their process. Campbell has a lot to work on, but he looks a lot like Humphrey on the field. If the Jaguars can get Campbell to become a somewhat-discounted version of Humphrey, then this can be called a successful pick.
