Category: Chris Claybrooks

Jaguars postgame injury report: Claybrooks exits win over Dallas early

Cornerback Chris Claybrooks exited the game in the second quarter and didn’t return. His status moving forward is currently unclear.

Jacksonville avoided any catastrophic injuries like they suffered on Monday night when rookie running back Travis Etienne was lost for the season with a foot injury against the New Orleans Saints this time around. But the Jaguars did lose one player in the first half of their 34-14 win over Dallas in the preseason finale, as cornerback Chris Claybrooks was slow to get up on a play in the second quarter and limped off the field. He didn’t return.

Around the 4:45 minute mark of the second quarter, Claybrooks made a tackle on Cowboys running back JaQuan Hardy and took a knee to the hip according to Action News Jax’s Brent Martineau. However, the second-year cornerback was moving around on the sideline with the trainers and looked like he could return if needed. He also seemed to be doing well after the game as the Jags’ social media page caught up with him after the game.

The Jags are already playing thin at cornerback. Tre Herndon injured his knee in the first game and has been considered week-to-week since, while rookie Tyson Campbell didn’t suit up for the final preseason outing.

The secondary is not an area of tremendous depth for the Jags, and though Claybrooks is a player who could be on the roster bubble, they can’t afford to lose any players at cornerback.

The Jaguars haven’t released any information at this point regarding Claybrooks’ injury or its severity, but we’ll keep you updated with any news regarding his status.

Update: After Sunday’s game coach Urban Meyer said C.J. Beathard also got dinged up a little but will be fine.

Jaguars place CB Chris Claybrooks on the Reserve/COVID-19 list

The second-year cornerback becomes the fourth Jaguars player to go on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Jacksonville has had to put yet another player on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, as second-year defensive back Chris Claybrooks has become the fourth Jaguar to be placed on the list, the team announced on Saturday. This means that Claybrooks has either tested positive for COVID-19 or was in close contact with someone who did.

With the Jaguars set to start training camp on Wednesday, they’ll also be without quarterback Jake Luton and defensive backs C.J. Henderson and Luq Barcoo, who Claybrooks joins on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

A seventh-round pick out of Memphis in the 2020 NFL draft, Claybrooks saw action in 13 games as a rookie and even saw four starts with Henderson’s injury. On the year, he totaled 33 tackles and three passes defensed.

The NFL has announced strict protocol regarding COVID-19 this fall, including the fact that an outbreak among unvaccinated players could lead to a forfeit if a game isn’t able to be played. It’s currently unclear if any of the players on the list are vaccinated.

Players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list are required to spend 10-14 days away from the team and must test negative before returning. The NFL allows vaccinated players to return to the team if they can complete two negative screenings within 24 hours. With this in mind, it seems very likely that all four of the players on the list will miss a decent portion of training camp.

Jags designate CB Chris Claybrooks, guard Andrew Norwell to return from IR

The Jaguars could be on the way to getting a huge boost for their offensive line as Andrew Norwell was designated to return from IR.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the way to getting back two key contributors as rookie cornerback Chris Claybrooks and guard Andrew Norwell were designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday. As a result, the Jags now have 21 days to activate either or both to their 53-man active roster.

Claybrooks was the first of the two to go on injured reserve back on Nov. 26 for a core muscle injury. Norwell was added to the list two days later for a forearm injury.

Claybrooks would bring back a player with experience to the Jags’ wounded secondary as the rookie has started in two games for the Jags. Before heading to IR, he also was able to garner 28 tackles and three pass breakups.

Norwell’s return will be a big help, too, as he started in all of the Jags’ games prior to going on injured reserve. Before his injury set him back, he was the Jags’ second-highest graded (71.1) offensive lineman under Brandon Linder, per Pro Football Focus.

2 Jaguars make PFF’s top-10 rookie rankings for Week 1

The Jags got a crazy amount of contributions from their rookies during their season opener against Indy, but two in particular were huge.

Opening weekend came and went in the blink of an eye for the NFL. Something to savor for football fans everywhere as the season kicked off after so much doubt and anticipation. It was also something to savor for Jaguars fans in particular, who witnessed their team come away with a shocking 27-20 win after many in the media tried to persuade them that the team was “tanking for Trevor.”

A big part of the Jaguars’ win on Sunday was the impact that rookies had on the overall team performance. The roster underwent a huge overhaul during the course of the offseason and many were wondering whether the team would be able to remain competitive as a result.

The 2020 rookie class more than answered the call on Sunday. There were seven first-year pros who made meaningful contributions to the team’s 1-0 start to 2020.

Both rookie receivers Collin Johnson and Laviska Shenault Jr. made their presence felt on offense. Johnson had a grab to help the Jags convert a third-down and put on an athletic display at the end of the game with a backflip while in victory formation. Shenault saw a 62% snap count and was able to register three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown.

New offensive coordinator Jay Gruden involved Shenault out of the backfield, too, at one time deploying putting him in the wildcat for a reasonable gain. Needless to say, it got fans on Twitter very excited.

Among all of these impressive debuts, there were two rookies on the Jags’ roster who had breakout games on Sunday. In fact, their showings were so impressive that the Jags were the only team to have two players featured on Pro Football Focus’ list of top-10 graded rookies.

10. RB James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Robinson recorded 62 rushing yards on 16 carries, with 56 yards coming after contact, earning a 65.7 rushing grade that ranked 11th of 26 running backs. He didn’t get much help from the line at times, as he was contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage on nine of 16 carries, but he still managed to break off a couple of 10-plus-yard gains despite that.

Head coach Doug Marrone said his decision to move on from Leonard Fournette boiled down to what the staff saw on the practice field, an area where James Robinson seemingly flourished. The former Illinois State star was the only back in the NFL to have 100% of their team’s running back rushing attempts.

The Jaguars’ new starting running back owns a piece of history after his impressive debut, setting a new opening weekend rushing record for undrafted rookies with 62 yards. That’s, well worthy of the tenth spot on PFF’s list of rookies this week.

2. CB C.J. Henderson, Jacksonville Jaguars

CJ Henderson might have put in the best rookie debut in franchise history. It is easy to over-exaggerate after one week, but the job he did shutting down the left side of the field was nothing short of phenomenal. PFF said so themselves:

The No. 9 overall pick then earned an 84.2 PFF grade against Indianapolis in Week 1, the second-best grade of the week at the position. His grade when lined up on the outside was actually the best we have ever recorded by a rookie in Week 1 in the PFF era, and he allowed only two catches on six man-coverage targets (17 such coverage snaps) while making four plays made on the ball.

There was no doubt that the Jaguars were going to rely on their young guys to produce, but the responsibility placed on Henderson’s shoulders could have seen him crumble early.

Corner is a notoriously difficult position to translate to, yet Henderson handled the pressure like a seasoned pro. His success against a four-time Pro Bowler meant the team kept him on the field for 73 of the teams 74 defensive plays, ranked third amongst all defenders.

Both Robinson and Henderson will need to continue their growth heading forward, and if they do, the Jags have a good chance to exceed expectations. Both will be interesting to watch as the Jags take on another divisional rival in the Tennessee Titans Week 2 in Nashville.

Jags sign seventh-round rookie KR Chris Claybrooks

Seventh-round rookie from Memphis, Chris Claybrooks, has officially signed his contract to become a Jag.

In addition to K’Lavon Chaisson, Daniel Thomas, and Jake Luton signing their rookie deals Monday, seventh-round selection Chris Claybrooks also made his NFL career official by signing the dotted line. This now means the Jacksonville Jaguars have come to terms with their full draft class.

Claybrooks was the Jags’ last selection in April’s draft and was taken with the No. 223rd overall pick out of Memphis. While with the Tigers, Claybrooks played defensive back, garnering 54 total tackles, two picks (one of which were for a touchdown), and a forced fumble. He also was a kick returner for the Tigers and ended his career with 11 returns for 338 yards and a touchdown.

After the draft, the team stated that they would be looking to utilize Claybrooks as a returner as he offers blazing speed, which can be seen below in the following video that he sent to all 32 NFL teams.

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4.25💨

A post shared by @ huncho_clay7 on

While it’s uncertain as to if the 4.25 40-yard dash time was official or not, it’s clear Claybrooks can be a difference maker for the Jags at a position that can make field positioning easier for the offense.

Per Over the Cap, Claybrook’s deal is worth an estimated amount of $3,397,388 in totality. His signing bonus will be worth over $102K and will be evenly dispersed throughout his four-year deal.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

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What the nation’s top analysts said about the 2020 Jaguars’ draft class

For the most part it looks like the nation’s journalists like what the Jags did in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books and it certainly has been one for the ages.

This year provided an interesting spin on the draft. Due to the social distancing guidelines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft was done virtually with the coaches and player personnel of all 32 teams making their selections from their respective homes. Once the picks were in NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell would then read them off from his home and the rest is history.

The new format didn’t deter viewers as the 2020 NFL Draft would go on to be the highest watched in history as Day 1 and Day 2 would go on to average 11.6 million views, according to Grant Gordon of NFL.com.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were a part of this historic affair as they put together a solid draft that could see them build very well towards the future. While some teams missed the mark with their selections, here is how the nation’s best draft analysts viewed the Jags draft.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

Overall grade: A

“Jacksonville picked up two star SEC defenders (Henderson and Chaisson) to meet critical needs in the first round, then selected worthwhile prospects in the second (Shenault) and third rounds (Hamilton) to sew up a nice first two days of the draft. They started Day 3 with Bartch, who I thought was worthy of a top-75 selection. He plays with a nasty demeanor, and should be able to line up at tackle or, eventually, slide inside if needed. Scott provides more depth in the secondary. Quarterman’s just a great football player who will start in the middle at some point in his pro career (with the Jags or someone else). Thomas is a better athlete than football player at this point, and is likely a special teamer. Johnson is a nice outside complement to Shenault. Luton will compete for playing time if Gardner Minshew falters in 2020 and should at least be a solid backup in the league for a few years.”

Ryan Dunleavy, New York Post

Grade: A-

“Tear-down-and-rebuild of an elite defense starts with the two first-rounders. Shenault is a creative play-caller’s dream and Bartch is a high-ceiling developmental project.”

Mark Maske,  Washington Post

Grade: B+

“The Jaguars seem firmly in rebuilding mode, and they pushed that process along. They landed the draft’s second-best CB, CJ Henderson, and its second-best pass rusher, K’Lavon Chaisson, in the first round. They participated in the run on WRs with the second-round choice of Laviska Shenault Jr. About all that went wrong is that the Jaguars did not find a team willing to trade for RB Leonard Fournette or pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue.

Justin Leger of Yahoo Sports writes


Grade: B

 “Henderson is a perfect pick for Jacksonville after parting ways with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. Combine that with Chaisson at No. 20, and those are two huge additions to the Jags defense. Taking Shenault on Day 2 filled another need at wide receiver, and Hamilton bolsters their run defense. One of the better picks for Jacksonville on Day 3 was Scott, another nice addition to the secondary. Overall, a busy and effective draft for a rebuilding Jaguars squad.”

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com (grade on Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson)

Jacksonville Jaguars: B+

“I love him because he can cover. There are so many guys in the NFL that I talked to leading up to the draft that thought he was better than Okudah.”

Nate Davis, USA TODAY

Grade: C+

“Seems they’re building toward 2021 – Trevor Lawrence? – but nevertheless picked reputable players, including first-round CB C.J. Henderson, who should address a glaring need following Ramsey’s departure. Pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (Round 1) – taken with a pick obtained for Ramsey – and WR Laviska Shenault Jr. (Round 2) could need a transition year, which isn’t a knock but adds to the feel that this club is in a weird limbo. Speaking of which, disgruntled DE Yannick Ngakoue remains.”

Overall, the media received the Jaguars selections very well which could be an encouraging sign for things to come. It has been a tumultuous few weeks in Jacksonville with disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue battling with management and numerous accusations of the organization tanking for current Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

However, the Jaguars can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they did a solid job putting together a good, young team that could potentially compete sooner than people may think.

Highlights of every Jaguars selection in 2020 NFL draft

With the 2020 NFL Draft wrapped up, here are highlights of each selection.

Seven draftees on defense and five on offense. That’s the ratio the Jacksonville Jaguars finished with when all of their 2020 NFL Draft selections were made.

To open the draft on Day 1, the Jags selected two Southeastern Conference defenders in C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson. On Day 2 they finally went offense by taking receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. but ended the day by going back to the defensive side with defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton.

In round four the acquired some help on the offensive line by selecting Ben Bartch, then closed the round with two more defensive selections in linebacker Shaq Quarterman and cornerback Josiah Scott. In round five they added a player on each side of the ball by taking safety Daniel Thomas, then receiver Collin Johnson.

In the sixth round, they finally went all offense by snagging quarterback Jake Luton and tight end Tyler Davis and their last selection, taking in round seven, was another defensive back in Chris Claybrooks.

Here’s a set of highlights for all 12 picks made by general manager Dave Caldwell on Thursday and the weekend:

1.9: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida

1.20: EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, Louisiana State

2.42: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado

3.72: DT DaVon Hamilton, Ohio State

4.116: OL Ben Bartch, St. John