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The 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars will look quite a bit different than their 2020 counterpart, in large part because the entire coaching staff has been upended and replaced and the team picked a quarterback with the first overall pick. The team is also going through with a change in defensive schemes, so even that will look quite different.
Training camp starts just around the corner, so we can start looking through the positions to get an idea of where we are and what we can look to.
Next up, the defensive backfield.
Starter(s)
The Jaguars defensive backfield is an interesting one heading into the 2021 season. The team signed Shaquill Griffin in free agency, so he will for sure be one of the starting outside corners. The real interesting part is the other boundary corner. My guess is it would be last year’s first round pick CJ Henderson, who is currently in the COVID-19 protocol. The team also spent a high second round pick on cornerback Tyson Campbell, who could push Henderson for that starting spot. Outside of that you also have Tre Herndon who is likely to be the nickel corner.
In the backend at safety, it’s a bit more interesting. Veteran Jarrod Wilson should slot right end at one of the safety spots where he has been in the past. The other safety spot is likely going to be a big battle between free agent signing Rayshawn Jenkins and rookie Andre Cisco.
Depth
I’d say the depth for the Jaguars cornerback position is much improved from years passed. As mentioned about, they have a new high pick in Campbell added to the depth, Herndon and a returning Sidney Jones IV. Jones and Herndon have proven to be good spot starters when needed, so fitting in coming off the bench in nickel and dime situations should prove to be valuable.
The depth in safety is much improved from last season, with the loser of Jenkins and Cisco being the main backup, but you also bring back Josh Jones, Daniel Thomas and Andrew Wingard. All three returning vets have show spot play capability and an ability to contribute on special teams. You don’t want any to be a full time starter for a long period of time, but they can definitely fill in for the short term.