JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 27: The flag of the Jacksonville Jaguars after a score against the Baltimore Ravens at TIAA Bank Field on November 27, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Jaguars 2023 Season Review: Cornerbacks
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ season came to a heartbreaking end earlier this month, and with that end comes a new beginning; the beginning of the Jaguars’ offseason. In the weeks to come, I’ll be taking a look at each of the team’s position groups in an attempt to identify their biggest needs and soundest strengths. Current offensive coordinator Press Taylor is under a microscope following a disappointing season while Mike Caldwell, their former defensive
coordinator, was fired merely one day after the season’s conclusion. The 2023 season left things turned upside down in Duval county. Given the fact that his replacement was already hired, it appears that the team has already identified some of their largest issues and begun to address them accordingly. Ryan Nielson, former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator, is no stranger to repair work; in his only season with the Falcons, Nielson transformed a bottom-five unit into the 11th best total defense in the NFL. Jacksonville has two major problems to address on defense, those being a lack of production from pass rushers not named Josh Allen and the amount of yardage they
were allowing through the air. In Atlanta, Nielson not only transformed their 25th ranked passing defense into the league’s 11th-best unit, but also doubled their sack total from 21 to 40. It’s easy to forget he accomplished such a turnaround in one season, Especially considering a majority of the personnel from the Falcons’ subpar 2022 defense returned. Now, Nielson will be tasked with reinvigorating a Jaguars defense that plateaued down the stretch. That all starts with sound coverage. The Jaguars cornerback room took a step back this season with the loss of Shaquil Griffin in free agency. Though Griffin failed to make much of an impact since his signing in 2021, he represented depth at the position at times for the Jaguars. Cornerback has been a need prior to his acquisition, and remains one following his departure.
