Way-Too-Early Depth Charts: Projecting the Jaguars' Cornerback Group
For now, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the other 31 NFL clubs are restricted to a virtual world and have yet to take any fields together for offseason team activities. Competitions for starting roles have yet to be had but rest assured, they will still eventually be battled.
But with the season still scheduled as of today to begin on time, it can still be a worthwhile exercise to project how certain position groups may shape up come the regular season. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are set to trot out one of the league's youngest rosters in 2020, there are a number of positions that still needed to be sorted out from top to bottom, whether it be at the starting role or along the depth.
As this offseason progresses, we will take a look at each position and give our best guess as to what the depth chart will look like come September, or whenever the season does start.
We already covered the quarterbacks and running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, the offensive line, and linebackers. Now we continue to look at the defensive side of the ball by giving our guesses as to how Jacksonville's cornerback group will stand once the regular season rolls around.
Jacksonville made adding cornerback depth a priority this offseason after the departures of two mainstays along the boundary. All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey was traded to Los Angeles for a haul of draft picks in October and former Pro Bowler A.J. Bouye, who recorded six interceptions with the Jaguars in 2017, was traded to Denver for a 2020 fourth-round pick this March.
To answer the questions at cornerback, the Jaguars turned to adding veteran depth in free agency and then boosting the youth and talent levels of the group via the NFL Draft. Jacksonville selected cornerbacks with three of their 12 draft picks, which includes the Jaguars' top pick (No. 9 overall).
So with plenty of new faces in the cornerback room this fall, how do we think the unit will be ordered once the regular season starts? Here is our best guesses as things stand today.
No. 1 corner: CJ Henderson
The No. 9 overall pick in this year's draft, CJ Henderson is going to be leaned on by the Jaguars early on in his career. Henderson should be expected to step in and fill the shoes of either Ramsey or Bouye right away, and it is clear the Jaguars see mountains of potential in Henderson, who ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at this year's NFL Scouting Combine.
“I really feel like you have someone that you could put on a no. 1 receiver, and the reason why I believe that is because C.J. has speed. Sometimes these no. 1 receivers may be smaller, fast guys. C.J. is big, also physical in press so you can put him on the bigger, stronger receivers, so I felt that he’s a great fit, a guy that can truly be a no. 1 corner and can take guys out of the game," head coach Doug Marrone said after the first round in April.
"Because sometimes you get these corners that are really big and strong, but they get these fast guys and sometimes they don’t want to press them. C.J. is big and strong and he can run, and he has a ton of range and he has a ton of makeup speed and he has a ton of burst."
Henderson recorded six interceptions in three seasons at Florida, though he recorded zero in 2019. Despite this, Henderson has flashed the athleticism, playmaking ability, and physicality to make it worth a roll of the dice on him and his unfinished skill set. Out of all of the players Jacksonville has drafted since 2013, Henderson is likely right up there with Ramsey as the most athletic players selected. His ceiling is sky high and he should get plenty of chances to impress in 2020.
No. 2 corner: Tre Herndon
Tre Herndon wasn't expected to play a big role for Jacksonville's defense when the 2019 season starter but this quickly changed. Following Ramsey's public divorce from the team, Herndon was thrust into the starting lineup opposite of Bouye and he ended up starting 14 games as a second-year player.
While Herndon may have had his issues from time to time in his first tour as a starter, he finished the season strong and showed more than enough for the Jaguars to trust him opposite of Henderson in 2020. In 2019, Herndon led the Jaguars in both pass deflections (13) and interceptions (3) and he showed genuine improvement throughout the season. With more experience under his belt, Herndon could prove in 2020 to be among the biggest steals on the team value-wise.
Slot corner: D.J. Hayden
Perhaps the toughest and most respected member of Jacksonville's secondary, D.J. Hayden is set to be the veteran leader of Jacksonville's cornerback group in 2020. Over the last two seasons, Hayden has proven to be one of the most reliable members of Jacksonville's defense thanks to his ability to make plays against the run, in coverage, and as a blitzer.
“He is a very tough individual, physically and mentally. That is some of the things that we talk about you have to be to play this game. I think he is underrated," defensive coordinator Todd Wash said in 2019 when asked about Hayden.
"I think we said this a couple weeks ago, what he allows us to do in the run game … He can cover slots man to man. I would definitely say he is underrated for how important he is for our scheme.”
In 2019, Hayden recorded 41 tackles, five tackles for loss, six pass deflections, two sacks, five quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. He may not have the range in coverage that other members of the secondary have, but he is an above-average slot cornerback who plays an important role in the defense.
No. 3 corner: Parry Nickerson
When calling Parry Nickerson the No. 3 cornerback, it needs to be remembered that Jacksonville typically plays with two outside cornerbacks and just one slot cornerback. So realistically he is the No. 3 option on the outside but the No. 4 option overall due to Hayden's spot in the slot.
Nickerson appeared in four games and started one for Jacksonville in 2019, though he didn't do much to stand out. Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell has still been vocal in support for Nickerson at times this offseason and it appears the team is genuinely excited about his development. He is unproven but look for him to be the guy who is called upon if Herndon or Henderson ever go down with injury.
No. 4 corner/backup slot: Josiah Scott
Fourth-round pick Josiah Scott will likely spend most of 2020 on special teams but he is the clear backup option to Hayden in the slot. Scott is a smaller cornerback at 5-foot-9 but the Jaguars have indicated they think he can still play on the outside thanks to his instincts and toughness. He looks like a long-term option to replace Hayden after 2020, but any role he is set to have next season looks to be minimal.
No. 5 corner: Chris Claybrooks or Rashaan Melvin
Seventh-round rookie Chris Claybrooks is a former wide receiver who will have to impress as a kick returner if he wants to crack Jacksonville's roster. He will practice with cornerbacks, but if he makes the team he will likely be among the last options to put on the field for defense in 2020.
“I hope so because that's why we drafted him. That's his number one job is to come in here and be our kick returner first and foremost, hopefully earn a spot as a corner, then work on some of the punt returns skills. That's his forte," general manager Dave Caldwell said following the draft.
Rashaan Melvin is a veteran option for depth at cornerback but he doesn't have the upside of Nickerson or the inside/outside versatility of Scott, Herndon, Hayden, or Henderson. This spot may ultimately come down to how Jacksonville weighs special teams value.
