Jaguars' Tyson Campbell, Darious Williams Named One of NFL's Top CB Duos

It is tough to say the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't find the right formula at cornerback at the end of the 2022 season.

After a season-ending injury to Shaquill Griffin forced the Jaguars to shift their secondary around and move veteran cornerback Darious Williams from the slot to the outside, the Jaguars saw their pass defense see a significant uptick.

"One of the things I thought we did a nice job with our personnel on defense, we kind of figured out where certain guys played and kept them in their spots, and they blossomed from there," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said at the end of last season.

"Darious Williams is one of those guys, moving him back out to corner really helped us there. Of course Tre Herndon going back in at nickel was big for us back half of the season

As a result, the duo of Williams and third-year star cornerback Tyson Campbell are starting to get the respect they deserve, with the pair being named by Pro Football Focus as one of the league's top duos.

The duos on @PFF_Sam's top-32 CB rankings pic.twitter.com/EZ5vqyCBMH
— PFF (@PFF) June 3, 2023

Each of Campbell and Williams were named among the league's top-32 cornerbacks by PFF, with Campbell coming in at a surprisingly low No. 25 and Williams being ranked No. 30.

"After a rookie year of struggles, Campbell had a huge second season, earning an 80.7 PFF coverage grade — more than 20 grading points better than his 2021 mark. Campbell allowed just 9.7 yards per reception and an 86.0 passer rating into his coverage," PFF wrote.

"At 5-foot-9 and under 190 pounds, Williams will forever get pushed toward the slot, but he is a high-level cornerback on the outside. When Jacksonville made that switch last season, Williams garnered a top-10 PFF grade at the position and allowed a 49.9 passer rating when targeted. If the Jags keep him outside again in 2023, he may rise up these rankings in spite of his size," PFF wrote.

While the Jaguars drafted two cornerbacks late on Day 3 in April's draft, it is clear the Jaguars fully intend for Williams and Campbell to lead their secondary from the same positions they did at the end of last year's run.

"I think it’s a natural spot for him. He did a great job when we put him back out there, he did a great job when he was in the nickel. I think we’re a better team with him on the perimeter," Pederson said.