Jacksonville’s Week 1 depth chart featured a decision that surprised many fans. Third-year safety Andrew Wingard was named the starter at free safety over rookie Andre Cisco, a third-round pick out of Syracuse who impressed in the preseason.
Wingard started four games down the stretch last season, totaling two picks and five pass deflections to go with his 50 tackles. Though Wingard struggled at times in 2020, defensive coordinator Joe Cullen said the new staff has liked what he’s shown this offseason.
“Well, one, he’s reliable, two, he’s tough, he’s physical,” Cullen said. “We’ve got a great group back there with Rayshawn [Jenkins]. But he’s a guy, you know what he’s going to do when the ball is snapped, he’s going to do his responsibility and he’s going to do it at 100 miles per hour.”
However, Cisco is going to be far from an afterthought in the defensive backfield rotation. The rookie totaled 13 interceptions in just 26 career games in college, and though he missed significant time due to an ACL tear (in 2020), he’s healthy now and could end up being one of the steals of the draft.
Cullen said that Cisco isn’t far behind Wingard and will see a healthy number of reps in Week 1.
“Not far at all, I mean, he will be playing as well,” Cullen said when asked how far Cisco is from being fully prepared. “Anybody up is a starter, so if you get anybody—the depth chart says this, says that—if they’re up with a helmet, they are starting because they’ve got to go in the game at really any given time in certain positions, that’s one of them. Cisco can be in there second series, third series.”
Jacksonville made improving the secondary a priority this offseason, signing Shaquill Griffin and Jenkins while drafting Cisco and Tyson Campbell. Many expected Cisco to be a Day 1 starter if he was healthy, but it seems that Wingard’s camp and preseason impressed the coaching staff.
Still, it seems like only a matter of time before he’s supplanted by Cisco, who the team likely views as the long-term solution.