Jaguars Defense Has Identified a Young Rising Star

Jarrian Jones has paid off for the Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars took Jarrian Jones out of Florida State in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He had some encouraging moments as a rookie, but struggled to separate himself from the Jaguars' tragic overall defense last season.

Jacksonville's new regime took significant steps to upgrade the secondary this past offseason, adding five defensive backs between the draft and free agency, including some high-profile talent like Travis Hunter Jr., Jourdan Lewis, and Eric Murray.

One thing that this administration, led by General Manager James Gladstone, has shown is that it's unafraid to cut ties with disappointing talent. Just this year, they've parted ways with De'Antre Prince, Darnell Savage, and Tyson Campbell, all DBs who were underperforming for this team

. It seemed like Jarrian Jones might have been on that track, too, but he's stepped up in a big way, showing why the Jaguars were right to keep him on. Jacksonville's newest cornerback, Greg Newsome II, spoke on what he's seen from his young teammate:

"Yeah, he’s a baller. I've been watching him last year when he was here. I think he's the most underrated guy in the NFL. He can tackle, he can cover, he can blitz, he can play inside, he can play outside. That's something I had to do in my career, and that's not an easy job to do, so I think he's a hell of a player and I think he's the most underrated corner in the NFL.”

Jones' play this season has earned him a 76.5 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, sixth out of 109 corners. In coverage, he's graded at 75.7, 10th at his position. Doing so while splitting snaps out wide and in the slot is an incredible feat. His emergence has made a secondary that was expected to be a weakness for the Jaguars into a foundational strength of their defense.