How Ronald Darby Influenced the Jaguars' Draft Plans

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered last month's NFL Draft with two looming needs: cornerback and wide receiver.

The Jaguars spent three of their nine draft picks on the two positions, reflecting how critical adding bodies to each room was. But when it came to the Jaguars' first round pick, Jacksonville locked in on wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., taking the LSU star at No. 23.

This ultimately should not have been a huge shock, but the Jaguars did pass on their pick of the cornerback class at No, 17 before trading down. And when they selected Thomas, they picked him over Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, who was the most frequently mocked player to the Jaguars throughout the draft process.

The Jaguars see a potentially elite ceiling in Thomas, who bring a blend of size, production, and 4.34 speed. But there is another reason the Jaguars didn't take a cornerback until the third round: free agent cornerback Ronald Darby.

“Well, it plays a lot of flexibility. He's a starting NFL corner, and he's a starting NFL corner from a good program. He has he can still run, he's still a talented guy and he's a pro in every aspect," Jaguars assistant general manager Ethan Waugh said on Friday. "So having him means that we don't have to take a corner that has to start day one. It's certainly somebody that we can throw in the mix and make a competition and whoever wins, wins. But I don't think it's one of those where you're completely devoid of depth there.”

“I guess I don't know if I would tie it specifically together, but I think we look at our depth chart and we see we have a guy there that can compete at an NFL level, so let's pick the person that we think can help us the most as a team, so that was the decision.”

Darby signed a two-year deal with the Jaguars after spending 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens, starting seven games and appearing in 16 while also starting in two playoff games. Darby finished the season with 28 tackles, one tackle for loss, and seven pass breakups.

"It fits how I play, how I like to play, too," Darby said in March about his fit in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen's defense.

“It’s simple. I can run, it isn’t too much thinking, it isn’t too much eye work. I can run, so like I’m not worried about anybody running by me. As long as your technique is good at the line, you could stop a lot of things. Once you keep practicing it through camp and just keep doing it, you start to get the feel for releases, routes, it all starts to look the same. You’re chest to chest with someone, so it makes the pass even harder to throw and complete.”

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