In a matter of weeks, the Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off the 2024 season in hopes of shedding away the nightmare that was 2023.
In the Jaguars’ pursuit of an AFC South title and a spot in the playoffs, the Jaguars will need the core of their roster to help propel them past the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and the rest of the opponents on their schedule.
But who are those players? Which players will be the ones who decide whether the Jaguars find their way back to playoffs?
Ultimately, who are the top 25 players on the Jaguars roster ahead of 2024? We break it down below.
No. 8: Tyson Campbell
The Jacksonville Jaguars made it clear this offseason they view Tyson Campbell as one of the top young and ascending cornerbacks in the NFL, handing him the largest contract for a defensive back in franchise history. And when Campbell has been at his best, he has been a player worthy of such a deal.
Campbell flashed throughout his rookie season before becoming a legit shutdown cornerback in 2022, bringing a blend of speed, ball skills, route recognition and tackling ability that not many corners in the NFL possess. Campbell got off to a hot start in 2023 as well, frequently having intense one-on-ones with Calvin Ridley and once again playing like a top cornerback during the fix six weeks of the season.
A hamstring injury in Week 6 prevented Campbell from being 100% again, but the former second-round pick is now healthy and has 2023 put behind him.
“I think with Tyson–just continue to grow. Young player, again, like we said, having stability now—he’s going to be in one place for a while and just continue to build off of his first few years. I do think that the things we’re doing defensively are going to help him,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said in July.
“I think the scheme is going to help him and the style that the secondary is going to play, I think it suits him. Tyson is not a big guy, but he’s a physical guy and I think this is going to help him take another step. Continue to work on his ball skills, and just have that presence about him, that he’s one of the best corners in the league.”
“I think number one, his speed. He’s really fast and he’s physical as well. He’s got long arms. I just think he’s a really dynamic corner. His speed really helps him because he can kind of play on your low hip,” Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk said earlier in training camp.
“But it’s not like he’s a small guy; he’s got long arms, so being able to kind of shed and separate from him at the top is a little bit more difficult. When you’re going against a guy like him, you have to be really good with your hands and also be able to extend through the catch, because he’s never really out of position. That’s the one good thing about him. He deserves every bit of what he got that came his way, and I’m really excited to watch him keep on developing into the elite corner that I know he is.”
Our top 25 list so far …