We know that Tyson Campbell will be lined up outside at one of the outside cornerback positions and that Jourdan Lewis will primarily be in the nickel. But how playing time shakes out for that second starting outside cornerback role in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense remains to be seen.
Of course, the caveat here is that a lot can change once training camp arrives, but during offseason programs, it was Montaric Brown who saw a lot of snaps with the starters, according to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco.
“Montaric Brown, who started 10 games outside last season, is good in zone coverage and worked with the starters throughout the spring,” DiRocco wrote recently.
As DiRocco notes, Brown is good in zone coverage, and we are going to see a lot more of that from the Jaguars under new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, where there is a vision-based approach from the secondary, meaning all eyes are on the quarterback. This hopefully leads to more plays on the football.
Throughout the OTA and minicamp practices this spring, we often heard about Brown getting his hands on the ball to force an incompletion.
“That’s who he’s been every day that I’ve been here,” Anthony Campanile said of Brown’s ball production. “And I can only go by what I see every day that I’m out here, he competes. He loves to compete.
“Same thing like Tyson, whether it’s on the line of scrimmage, he’s not afraid to challenge people. To challenge people at the top of the route and play with technique, but whatever he’s gotta do to strain and make the play, he’s been doing that, which is awesome. That’s what we’ve been preaching and he’s doing that every day.”
Last season, Brown would play 855 defensive snaps for the Jaguars, allowing a completion rate of 69% and 11.3 yards per catch with an interception and five pass breakups.
With the bulk of Travis Hunter’s reps coming on offense this spring, Brown’s opportunities with the starters could decrease once training camp arrives and we see more of Hunter at cornerback. Also competing for reps is Jarrian Jones, although as DiRocco notes, the switch to a more zone heavy scheme is coming with a learning curve for him.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars CB Montaric Brown capitalizing on opportunities in spring
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
