Jacksonville’s secondary may have struggled tremendously last season, but one thing it has going for it is youth — especially at cornerback. The Jags’ group of corners is the NFL’s youngest at an average age of 23.73, according to The 33rd Team’s Ben Elsner.
That’s nearly two years younger than the league average of 25.35. The most experienced veteran in the group is starter and offseason free-agent signing Shaquill Griffin, who is 25. C.J. Henderson, a 22-year-old first-round pick in 2020, is expected to start opposite him. Depth players Sidney Jones IV, Tre Herndon and Chris Claybrooks are all 25 or younger.
Further, the likely Day 1 starter at nickel is a rookie in Tyson Campbell. Between Griffin, Henderson and Campbell, Jacksonville hopes it has a solid core for years to come at the position. With Griffin just entering his prime and Henderson and Campbell still early on their rookie deals, the unit has the potential to improve significantly in the coming years.
The Jags were one of the league’s worst teams against the pass in 2020, but after heavily investing in the corner position this offseason, they’ll hope to see big strides on the field in 2021.