How CB Shaquill Griffin Would Rate His First Season With the Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin knows exactly what he wants to improve entering his second season with the franchise. He knows it so well that he has devoted himself to a detailed approach to outdo his first year with the franchise.

"My main thing this offseason was ‘catch the football.’ I try to get maybe 75 to 100 catches a day," Griffin said on Tuesday.

"If I miss, then I’m catching on weekends, so whatever it takes. That’s what I’ve really been doing and getting my speed back. I’ve been working with some track guys, getting that explosion, that quick twitch, all that stuff back. I think that’s been my main focus, I need that ball in my hand, I need to go really fast.”

Griffin, who the Jaguars signed to a three-year, $40 million contract with $29 million guaranteed last March, was one of the Jaguars' vocal leaders and captains last season and earned the respect of teammates right away.

And while the Jaguars finished with an NFL-worst 3-14 record and the fewest turnovers in the league, there were high points for Griffin and the secondary. For one, Griffin allowed a career-low in yards per catch (11.8) and had strong performances against Ja'Marr Chase and A.J. Brown.

While Griffin didn't make many game-changing plays, he showed the ability to be a quality cover man throughout the season against the best receivers the Jaguars faced. He ultimately allowed three touchdowns on the season per Pro Football Reference, a career-low for the fifth-year cornerback.

But Griffin wants to be more of a difference-maker in 2022. After a year in which Griffin dropped a number of interceptions and even potential pick-sixes, the veteran cornerback has devoted his offseason to solving his turnover problem.

While Griffin's 66 targets in coverage were a career-low, so was his ball production. He recorded just seven pass deflections and zero interceptions in 2021, the first year in his career he recorded fewer than 10 deflections and interceptions combined.

“I feel like I was consistent coverage-wise, but like I said, creating turnovers, making big-time play in big-time games, that’s what we need," Griffin said.

"I feel like that’s why they brought me here, so I feel like that’s the biggest thing, and red zone stops. I told them I want to continue to get better at third down, getting off the field, but in the red zone, it’s a no touchdown zone, no one gets in."

And that has been Griffin's biggest focus. He feels he had a strong season in 2021 in terms of coverage but failed to make the explosive plays the defense needed to potentially turn their fortunes around.

Now, that is where Griffin's entire focus is; becoming a better version of the cornerback he was in 2021. And if the Jaguars can get that, it could be a boon for the entire unit.

"So, I think my biggest focus is just shutting people down completely throughout the whole field, first, second, third [down] and never giving up a touchdown in the red zone. That’s something I’m going to dial in now, now that we’re back, just a chance to really focus back on that. Red zone stuff will be big, but the main thing was just being consistent and creating turnovers.”