5 Potential Cornerback Options for the Jaguars With the Draft's No. 42 Pick

If the Jaguars wait until the second round to find a starting cornerback, who are some options that make sense?

It is no secret that the Jacksonville Jaguars have a big need at the cornerback position entering the 2020 NFL Draft. The Jaguars have frequently been mocked a corner with one of their two first-round picks, whether it be Jeff Okudah or C.J. Henderson at No. 9 or A.J. Terrell or Trevon Diggs at No. 20, and for good reason.

The Jaguars' current groups of cornerbacks lacks both depth and star power, despite having two solid starters in Tre Herndon and D.J. Hayden. Herndon is a good outside cornerback who led the team in interceptions and pass deflections in his first year as a starter, while Hayden is a versatile and tough presence in the slot.

But aside from those two, the Jaguars have more questions than answers at cornerback. Parry Nickerson and Brandon Watson have limited experience, while Rashaan Melvin is a below-average cover man at this stage of his career. The need for a cornerback in the draft to start across from Herndon and Hayden is clear as day, and can't be disputed.

But the Jaguars are rarely a team that reaches for need in the first round, at least under general manager Dave Caldwell. Instead, they typically opt to take their highest-graded player available, even if this strategy doesn't always pay off (Leonard Fournette, Dante Fowler). 

This means it isn't a certainty the Jaguars will draft a cornerback in the first round. While grabbing a starting cornerback in the first-round would obviously be an ideal turn of events for Jacksonville, don't expect the team to force a pick if the board doesn't fall right. 

Because of this, there is a very real chance the Jaguars opt to take a cornerback with the No. 42 overall selection, their only second-round pick and their third selection in the draft. 

Who are five cornerbacks the Jaguars could realistically target with the day two pick? We picked a few who make sense in terms of draft slot and team fit. 

Virginia CB Bryce Hall

If Bryce Hall's 2019 season was never cut short by an ankle injury, there is a very real chance he could have been in the conversation for the first cornerback off of the board after Okudah. He has terrific instincts and technique in both man and zone coverage, and he is never afraid to use his 6-foot-1, 202-pound frame to be physical vs. receivers or ball-carriers. In the Jaguars' scheme, he could use his length and physicality to disrupt receivers at the line, while his smarts would make him a valuable player in cover 3 calls. 

Hall didn't perform any athletic testing at the NFL Scouting Combine due to his injury, but he meets the size and length requirements the Jaguars have set as the standard at cornerback under general manager Dave Caldwell. He was also a productive player in a major conference, recording five interceptions, 38 pass deflections, and three forced fumbles at Virginia. As long as the Jaguars feel comfortable with his health, he makes sense as a starting-caliber talent after the first round.

Auburn CB Noah Igbinoghene

After starting his college career as a wide receiver, Noah Igbinoghene transitioned to cornerback in 2018 and has flashed loads of NFL potential in each of the last two seasons. It is obvious how athletically gifted he is, running a 4.48 40-yard dash and recording a 37-inch vertical jump at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his physical makeup (31 3/4-inch arms) fit the profile of what the Jaguars have looked for at the cornerback position in the past.

Igbinoghene is likely too much of a work in progress to justify using a first-rounder on him, but he has enough athletic traits to make the gamble worth it in the second-round. He would be the most athletically gifted Jaguars' cornerback from day one, making him an enticing option. 

TCU CB Jeff Gladney

Another player who meets all of the Jaguars' physical traits thresholds at cornerback, TCU's Jeff Gladney is one of our favorite prospects in this year's draft. He isn't the biggest corner, but he plays above his size more often than not and is willing to throw his body around and be physical both vs. the run and the pass.

Gladney is also one of this year's most versatile and intelligent cornerbacks. He knows what his responsibilities are in man and zone coverage and rarely diverts from the plan, while also showing a great understanding of passing concepts. He also has the foot quickness and instincts to play in the slot, which would let the Jaguars be flexible with their secondary groupings. 

Utah CB Jaylon Johnson

An ideal press-man cornerback, Jaylon Johnson plays the game with an edge and meets all of the Jaguars' requirements for the position. He has some stiffness in his game, but he appears to be the kind of physical corner the Jaguars would want considering his ability to disrupt receivers at the line and set the edge vs. the run.

However, due to his hip stiffness and lumbering movements when carrying vertical routes in zone coverage, it is worth wondering if a cover 3 oriented scheme like the one the Jaguars run would benefit Johnson. It is hard to envision him playing off coverage against vertical routes, which the Jaguars' scheme frequently asks out of its cornerbacks. With that said, he may be the best cornerback left when the Jaguars are on the board at No. 42.

Ohio State CB Damon Arnette

Damon Arnette is the only cornerback on this list who doesn't meet all of the Jaguars' cornerback thresholds (his arms are shorter than 31-inches), but if the cornerback market is dried up by the time the Jaguars pick at No. 42, it might not matter. 

Arnette is a steady cornerback who shined across from Okudah in 2019, displaying the instincts and fluidity in both man and zone coverage to make one optimistic about his NFL transition. While he didn't always have to face other team's top wideouts due to Okudah's standing as the top corner, he has all of the traits to start as a No. 2 outside corner at the next level.