Joe Cullen and Shaquill Griffin Review the Jaguars' Newly Competitive Secondary
For the past few years, the game plan for the Jacksonville Jaguars secondary has essentially been to draft one young superstar and ask him to carry the entire unit.
But one superstar does not a unit make. And no matter how high the team wanted to draft the Jalen Ramsey’s or CJ Henderson’s of the world, then ask them to play immediately, it wasn’t enough to compensate for lack of depth behind and around them.
It was an issue Head Coach Urban Meyer and Defensive Coordinator Joe Cullen knew they’d have to address right away.
Speed, depth and ball hawking skills were at the top of the priority list. With division rivals the Tennessee Titans signing receiver Julio Jones this offseason, the plan looks even more inspired.
“I think you have to cover in this league and our secondary coaches have done a great job,” Cullen explained to local media on Tuesday. “Tim Walton and I were together 20 years ago. Joe Danna and Chris Ash have done a great job bringing that unit together. But it was critical in finding guys either through the free agent acquisitions and through the draft, so we’ve kind of remade that whole room.”
In free agency, the Jaguars acquired Rayshawn Jenkins—safety, Los Angeles Chargers—and Shaquill Griffin—corner, Seattle Seahawks, both of whom Cullen referred to as “key guys.” The team also retained their own free agent, safety Josh Jones. But it’s one of the unlikely stars of recent years that has stood out to Cullen and Griffin.
Tre Herndon was signed ahead of the 2018 season as an undrafted free agent. After Ramsey demanded a trade at the beginning of the 2019, the unit lost it’s star and turned to the second year corner who to that point had appeared primarily on special teams.
He started 14 games in 2019, opposite AJ Bouye. He led the team in passes defended (18) and interceptions (3) that season. After nickel corner DJ Hayden was injured in Week 4 of the 2020 season, Herndon moved inside. And despite the Jaguars stacking their corner unit this offseason through free agency and the draft, Herndon's dedication to outworking those around him has made an impression on the new faces in town.
“Tre [Herndon] has done a great job,” remarked Cullen, when talking about the competition in the secondary.
Added Griffin of his new teammate, "The main [guy] that jumped out to me has to be Tre [Herndon]. He’s just different, it’s the technique. That’s the person that I go to a lot about different things. I don’t know if it’s plays, or the press technique that I’m learning for the first time this year.
“That’s a guy that’s just always, day-in, day-out, doesn’t matter what it is. Like I said, playing this game, some days it’s like, ‘Phew, I don’t know I’m going to get through.’ Not Tre. Tre is not that guy. Every single day, he’s going to find a way to get better and that’s what motivates me. So, there’s never a day for me [when] I feel like, ‘Ah man, I don’t know how I feel today.’ When I see Tre, it’s just something that he brings to this room, it’s like, ‘You know what, I want to get better,’ because I know he does too.”
Through the draft, the club added second round corner Tyson Campbell—who Meyer has alluded could play nickel—and third round safety Andre Cisco. With the young duo, Cullen sees the unit he wants starting to come together.
“Both those guys check every box: height, weight, speed, athleticism, ball skills. I think depth at the corner position, you can never have enough, so getting Tyson [Campbell] in there was really big,” said Cullen.
“Then, Andre [Cisco], before his injury, was probably the top safety in the country. I think he had 13 interceptions in about roughly two years, and he fits all the boxes in terms of the size, the speed, the athleticism. So, we’re really excited about those two additions via the draft.”
His freshman season, Cisco was tied for most interceptions in the country with seven. As a sophomore, he was seventh in the country with five takeaways.
Adding depth and specific skill sets to the entire secondary means there will be tougher position battles and more difficult decisions about who to name starters. But according to Griffin, the rotational possibilities for the unit are what matter now. And each guy in the room knows that.
“I love this group because everybody in this group wants to see everybody do [well]. It doesn’t matter who starts or who’s second, who’s third, there’s no depth chart in that room. It’s about who can make the most plays and whoever is out there, who can we depend on? Who can we count on?
“If I go down, who can step up and make sure there’s no rhythm, no beat, messed up? So, it’s awesome, I love that room because everybody is willing to help each other, everybody is willing to be great. There’s no weaklings.”
The Jaguars purposely focused on their secondary this offseason, not willing to let its fate swing on one player any longer. It’s already paying off and Cullen’s defense is reaping the benefits.
Said Cullen, “the competition went up and then the skill set went up in that room.”
