With training camp four days away we have just two positions left to evaluate: safety and cornerback. Both will have a great deal of young talent competing for roster spots, however, safety has more question marks than corner behind their starters.
That said, lets take a look at how we believe the position’s personnel should be ranked heading into training camp:
S1: Ronnie Harrison
Ronnie Harrison is unquestionably the top safety on the Jags’ roster. There have been times where he’s flashed but he has yet to put together a complete season and must stay healthy, too.
Harrison will be coming off a 2019 campaign where he had 71 solo tackles, two picks, and registered a Pro Football Focus grade of 60.9. This upcoming season will be his third, which is right about where some safeties start to put it all together. That could be the case for the former Alabama Tide alum, who is now the most experienced starter in the secondary with 28 career starts.
S2: Jarrod Wilson
Jarrod Wilson will enter 2020 with 18 starts to his name and will be the second-most experienced player in the secondary. By PFF’s standards, he had a good season, garnering a grade of 72.8, one of the highest on the team.
While he hasn’t been a bad player by any means, the issue with Wilson is that he hasn’t made many impact plays like fans have occasionally seen out of Harrison. For that reason, many have wondered whether he’ll be competing for a job in 2020 as rookie Daniel Thomas and JR Reed could give him a challenge come training camp.
S3: Andrew Wingard
Andrew Wingard was one of just two undrafted free-agent rookies to make last year’s team, which is proof of how well he impressed in training camp. He ended up having to start in two games (vs. Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Chargers) during the regular season and wasn’t overly impressive, but it’s worth noting he’s still developing.
In addition to the two starts, Wingard will come into 2020 with 19 career tackles to his name. It might be an uphill battle to make the team this year as he will have to fend off rookies Daniel Thomas and J.R. Reid, and fourth-year safety Josh Jones, all of whom have the skills to make the final 53-man roster.
S4: Josh Jones
Josh Jones, a former second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers, joined the Jags this offseason and will be entering his fourth season. The fact that the Packers spent such a high selection in him is quite intriguing, and if the Jags can tap into his potential, maybe he could blossom into a contributor. That said, fans should expect the Jags to get a good look at him as he could end up being a primary competitor for Wingard.
S5: Daniel Thomas
As we’ve mentioned in the past, Daniel Thomas could’ve pushed Jarrod Wilson had the Jags been given a regular season, but now it’s going to be hard for any late-rounder to start. Despite where he was drafted though, Thomas registered an 8.43 Relative Athletic score during the pre-draft process, and as fans know, athleticism is a key to being a playmaker at safety.
It’s more of a realistic expectation for Thomas to make the team as a special teams contributor for now, while 2021 may be a better time for him to crack the lineup as a starter. He also could battle Wingard for the top backup spot during camp, though having no preseason games could hinder that.
S6: J.R. Reid
Everything I said about Thomas could apply for J.R. Reid, too. Reid was a leader for one of the nation’s top defenses in Georgia and developed a knack for always being near the ball. For that reason, I had him making the team alongside Thomas in our pre-draft roster predictions as he could be a hard player to cut once the Jags see him on the practice field.
S7: Doug Middleton
Doug Middleton will be entering his fifth-season and spent last season on both the Jags’ and Miami Dolphins’ practice squad. One thing he has in his favor is that he started in four games in 2018, giving him more experience than the rookies I have ahead of him and Wingard. Still, he feels more like a practice squad candidate because a lot of the players ahead of him are younger with greater upside.