2022 NFL Free Agency: J.C. Jackson and 4 Other CB Who Make Sense For the Jaguars

Which outside cornerback free agents make the most sense for the Jaguars to target this offseason?

Free agency is nearly upon us. On March 14, the two-day legal tampering window will begin before the new league year begins and players across the entire NFL will find new homes.

After an unpredictable free agency period last offseason in which the Jaguars didn't target many of the top free agents they were projected to, there is no telling if this year will be different. The operative word in last year's free agency cycle, led by then-head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke, was "value".

Will this again be the case with Baalke back at the helm, this time joined by new head coach Doug Pederson?

"Are we going to go out and add talent? Yeah, we're going to add talent. We're going to add competition. We're going to bring value to the roster. Every team does that, and we're no exception to that," Pederson said last month when he introduced his coaching staff.

"But I see talent here. I said I think in my opening remarks a couple weeks ago that it's not an overnight fix, and it's going to be a fix that we've got to do it one player at a time, one coach at a time, and get it turned around."

In an effort to identify which free agents make the most sense to potentially be those players Pederson referenced, we are going to go through each position group to determine who the best fits are, ranking them in order.

Next up, outside cornerbacks.

1) J.C. Jackson

The Jaguars paid top dollar for an outside cornerback last season in Shaquill Griffin, but it would be unwise of them to not continue to look at the position after their inability to make plays on defense last season. And for a defense that was worst in the NFL in terms of forcing takeaways, Jackson and his rare ball skills could be exactly what is needed. 

Jackson has 25 interceptions and 53 pass deflections and has only missed three games in his career, with each coming as a rookie in 2018. While there is obviously some concern about him being a beneficiary of the Patriots' defensive system, Jackson is one of the NFL's most productive defensive backs and could give the Jaguars a bonafide No. 1 cornerback if he hits.

2) Carlton Davis

The Jaguars have two defensive coaches on staff who shared the Tampa Bay locker room with Carlton Davis over the last several seasons, including defensive coordinator and former Tampa Bay inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell. An ideal zone cornerback who has proven himself capable of shutting down No. 1 receivers in Todd Bowles' system, Davis will likely fetch a major contract this free agency period. 

While Davis only has one year with big turnover numbers (four of six career interceptions came in 2020), he has 48 pass deflections over the last three seasons and is a high-floor, high-ceiling player who likely still hasn't hit his ceiling. If the Jaguars want to go with a sure-thing in terms of scheme fit, he makes sense.

3) Darious Williams 

A prototype No. 2 cornerback, Darious Williams has spent the last few years playing in Jalen Ramsey's shadow and taking on smaller responsibilities in the Rams' defense. And while Williams has never been the best cornerback on a defense, he is still a high-floor cover man who has proven himself over and over again in zone coverage. 

Williams would give the Jaguars a brand of cornerback they otherwise don't have on the roster. At 5-foot-9, 189 pounds, Williams is a smaller cornerback who wins on elite agility and change of direction and ball skills. He has the speed and overall burst in short areas the Jaguars' cornerback room is missing and his skill set would mesh well with Griffin's and Tyson Campbell's,

4) Steven Nelson

One of the most underrated cornerbacks in the NFL, Steven Nelson is deserving of a solid contract this offseason and deserves consideration from the Jaguars. Nelson doesn't have the height, length or frame of Griffin or Campbell so he would give the Jaguars a smaller, more agile cornerback to go along with their two height/weight/speed corners. 

Nelson is a feisty zone cornerback who proved in 2021 that he can be a solid No. 2 cornerback across from an established No. 1. If the Jaguars want to add depth and find corners who thrive in zone, Nelson makes as much sense as any cornerback on the roster and his strong 2021 season only hammers this point home.

5) D.J. Reed Jr

Another sub-six-foot cornerback, D.J. Reed Jr. is yet another zone cornerback option who has already thrived on the outside throughout his career. While Reed doesn't have prototypical size at 5-foot-9, 193 pounds, he is a physical cornerback who fits what the Jaguars' scheme will likely ask out of its cornerbacks. 

A former fifth-round pick out of Kansas State, Reed has started 22 games for the Seahawks the last two seasons and has recorded four interceptions and 17 pass deflections in the process. He may not have the production of a high-ceiling cornerback, but he would be a respectable addition to the Jaguars' depth chart.