The Jacksonville Jaguars are a team that feels all out of sorts to start the 2024 NFL season. They have yet to win a game on the season, but had two hard-fought losses to start the season. Jacksonville jumped out to an early lead on the Miami Dolphins in the first half of their season opener, before a defensive collapse in the second half led to the loss.
In the second game, it was a tough day all around for the offense, but the defense kept them hanging around in a 18-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Week 3, however, everything fell apart for the team on both sides of the ball. The offense couldn’t get anything going against the Buffalo Bills defense, and the Jacksonville defense couldn’t do anything to stop Josh Allen, James Cook, and a loaded Bills offense.
Jacksonville is now looking at an 0-3 start and seeing their playoff hopes quickly fade into the distance. If they drop their Week 4 matchup against fellow AFC South rivals Houston, it may be all but impossible for the Jaguars to have a return trip to the playoffs in 2024. The disappointment will leave the Jaguars looking for ways to improve their team heading into 2025, including the 2025 NFL Draft.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has the Jaguars looking to improve the depth of their defensive backfield in his latest mock draft. With the sixth pick in the first round, Trapasso has the Jaguars taking Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. Johnson is the top-ranked cornerback according to Trapasso, and is currently sitting as his top overall prospect, saying that Johnson “looks the part of a lockdown, perimeter cornerback with freaky athleticism and plus ball skills.”
Jacksonville has had to deal with a number of injuries in their defensive backfield to start the season, including putting their best corner, Tyson Campbell, on injured reserve. Campbell’s absence has exposed the Jaguars’ lack of depth at the position and left a void in the Jaguars defensive backfield that a player like Johnson could help fill in the future. If Johnson develops into the kind of corner that his talent suggests he could be, the tandem of Johnson and Campbell could be a nightmare for offensive coordinators in 2025 and beyond.
