Jaguars CB Jarrian Jones embracing opportunity to fill multiple roles

If the Jacksonville Jaguars gave out MVP awards for training camp practices, cornerback Jarrian Jones would have been the landslide winner on July 31.

And through five preseason practices, Jones still has the single most dominant performance on either side of the ball in one day.

It came in a 7-on-7 period, which often is simply about timing. It's a pitch-and-catch session for the quarterback and receivers and as long as the linebackers and defensive backs are in position, not many defensive coaches will make a fuss if a half-dozen or so passes in a row are completed.

But this period, in the red zone, was a bit different, and it perhaps told a tale of the mentality of Jones, a third-year cornerback from Florida State, and the rest of the defense,

which has outplayed the offense more often than not so far in camp.

Here was the sequence:

First down, Trevor Lawrence throws incomplete at a receiver Jones had blanketed.

Second down, same thing.

After Lawrence threw a short TD pass to Parker Washington on the next play, Jones dove in front of Washington and pulled in his first interception of training camp.

Two plays later, linebacker Branson Combs picked off Nick Mullens.

In nine 7-on-7 plays in the red zone, Lawrence, Mullens, Carter Bradley and Joey Aguilar combined to complete 4 of 9 passes.

Later in the practice, Jones knocked down a Mullens pass during an 11-on-11 red zone drill.

Jones said his mission, and that of the defense this preseason, is not to give an inch.

"It's certainly my mindset, but as a group, I think that's just the mindset of each and every individual," he said on Aug. 3 after the Jaguars held their first day of practice in pads at the Miller Electric Center, with the defense again holding its own with several potential sacks and some good stops during a run-oriented period.

"I think we harp on things like that," he continued. "It's a test of a good team. I don't think one team has to overly dominate the other. If both sides are making plays, I think that's the sign of a good team."

And Jones said of that practice last week for the defense, "we put our mindset on tape."

Jarrian Jones battled back from the bench

Jones is coming off a 2025 season in which he found himself deep on the bench approaching midseason.

With Travis Hunter drafted to play cornerback (and wide receiver), veteran Jourdan Lewis signed in free agency, Tyson Campbell being traded for Greg Newsome and Montaric Brown improving, there didn't seem to be many snaps for Jones, who started three of his last six games as a rookie in 2024, developed into the team's slot corner and was one of the bright spots among the young defenders during Doug Pederson's final and otherwise dismal year.

But at the start of the 2025 season under Liam Coen's regime, Jones started only one of the first nine games and said it was a time for some soul-searching.

"I've never been benched. I didn't play the first seven or eight games," he said. "Going through that was one of the toughest things I had to do in my life."

He said he never came close to closing his confidence … his patience was another matter, but Jones kept showing up for work every day.

"I always felt like I was an elite football player," he said. "Just trying to truly understand why it's happening … just stand down waiting for the opportunity to come. Just show what type of player you are and wait for opportunity."

Jarrian Jones took advantage of his chance

That happened when Lewis was injured against the Las Vegas Raiders. Jones came in and had six unassisted tackles and knocked down a pass. The next week against Houston, he had four solo stops, two for losses, and knocked down two passes.

That earned him two starts in a row, and Jones had nine tackles (six unassisted, two for losses) and remained a force on special teams.

Lewis came back against the Titans, but Jones couldn't be pried out of the rotation. He had interceptions against the Broncos and Jets, two more tackles for losses and knocked down two more passes.

After six tackles and one pass defensed in his first seven games in 2025, Jones had 35 tackles (six for losses) and seven pass deflections (with his two picks).

"It was never a confidence thing," Jones said. "I was getting back in the swing of things. I had a good game [against the Raiders] and from then on, it was kind of like I've always done."

Jarrian Jones ready for expanded role

Early indications are that Jones will back Hunter at one corner and Lewis at nickel. A bonus is the extra 10 pounds or so he's picked up, without a loss of speed, which will make him better in run support.

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But he stands ready to fill any role the defensive coaches have in mind. Jaguars coordinator Anthony Campanile likes versatility in his secondary players (witness the leap Antonio Johnson made late last season when he started playing more box safety and "big" nickel).

"We have to do a lot of different things," Jones said. "But that means you're good at a lot of different things. I like to think that I'm a complete football player. I can tackle, I can cover, I'm smart, I can get the ball out and do a lot of different things. Just being able to do all those things, I think with the coaches trusting me to be able to play a lot of different positions, they know my value."

Lewis is a veteran who still believes he has gas in the tank. But he knows talent when he sees it and had high praise for Jones' professionalism given last year's adversity.

“He has all the physical tools and the techniques to be a great player, which he is ... he's already a great player," Lewis said. "But it's just that next step. Mentally locking in and just being consistent, not worrying about anybody else's process or anything else to mess up his process. Just keep his process. I think he's going to be one of the most dominant corners in all of football. I really think he's that good.”

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars CB Jarrian Jones embracing opportunity to fill multiple roles