The Jacksonville Jaguars may not say cornerback is a pressing need heading into April, but actions, and injuries, tend to speak louder than pre-draft messaging. With Travis Hunter working his way back from late-season LCL surgery and Jourdan Lewis returning from foot surgery, the Jaguars could suddenly find themselves in a familiar but uncomfortable spot: thin on the outside, and one setback away from being exposed on Sundays.
That’s why this draft cycle feels like a prime opportunity for James Gladstone
to invest in an outside corner, not just for depth, but for long-term stability. While the Day One prospects dominate headlines, there’s real value in the next tier and beyond.
Let’s dig into seven 2026 NFL Draft prospects, some rising, some flying just under the radar, who could make sense in Anthony Campanile’s defense.
Colton Hood, Tennessee
Projected 2nd Round Pick
Height: 5’11
Weight: 193
Age: 21
40: 4.44
10-Yard Split: 1.54
Vertical: 40.5
Broad Jump: 10′ 5″
Hood stepped into a starting role largely because of Jermod McCoy’s absence and made the most of it. He is an explosive press corner with good speed, using a well-timed jam to make life difficult receivers off the line. He’s excellent at using his hands and punching through the ball at the catch point.
Hood had a strong 2025 season for Tennessee, recording 50 tackles with one interception, eight passes broken up and one forced fumble. With only one full season as a starter, there’s some rawness to his game, but the tools are unquestionably there, and Jacksonville is exactly the kind of environment where a player like Hood could develop without being forced into too much too soon.
Notably, he registered as a better man corner than zone in 2025, with a 74.6 PFF grade in man coverage this past year, eighth among all draft-eligible players, while also landing a 70.0 zone coverage PFF grade, which was 25th in this class.
D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Projected 2nd Round Pick
Height: 5’8
Weight: 180
Age: 21
40: 4.36
10-Yard Split: 1.52
Vertical: 43.5″
Broad Jump: N/A
If you’re looking for a classic mold-breaker, Ponds is definitely your guy. He doesn’t have the prototypical size that teams traditionally covet on the outside, but what he lacks in length, he makes up for with instincts and ball production. 10 pass breakups, 4.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown), and a blocked kick screams “magnet to the football”. Ponds plays with a natural feel for route combinations, showing the ability to jump passing lanes and create turnovers. He’s an undersized playmaker. A pure ball player. In many ways, how he uses his frame and high level football IQ, he reminds me of former Rams and Jaguars outside cornerback Darius Williams.
For Jacksonville, similar to Williams’ early years, the question primarily surrounds fit. Can he hold up consistently on the boundary against bigger AFC South receivers? He’s somewhat shown that ability in college, but that will be an early question in the league. But in an Anthony Campanile defense that values versatility and disguise, Ponds offers immediate outside corner value with upside, for a team willing to look past his size. He registered a 48.6 quarterback rating when targeted in man coverage last year, fifth among all draft-eligible players, paired with a 58.9 rating against zone (11th). His 84.6 zone coverage PFF grade was fourth in this class of cornerbacks.
Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Projected 2nd Round Pick
Height: 6’0
Weight: 193
Age: 21
40: 4.4
10-Yard Split: 1.54
Vertical: 38″
Broad Jump: 10′ 6″
A fast, fluid cornerback with and the length to make plays on the ball, Johnson is effective in both man or zone coverage. He consistently makes plays, with four interceptions in 2025, two of which he returned for touchdowns, to add to his 9 pass breakups over 11 games.
His fluid transition from backpedaling to breaking on the route, paired with his competitiveness when playing the ball makes Johnson a prime candidate to be Jacksonville’s first pick of 2025. He’s a name that has quietly gained traction over the past month following the off-season circuit and could present real value if he falls into the late second round.
In 2025, Johnson registered as a better man corner than zone, with a 74.0 PFF grade in man coverage this past year, tenth among all draft-eligible players, while also landing the best zone coverage PFF grade of the draft class at 91.9. For a Jacksonville team that primarily played zone coverage in 2025, that could be key, were that trend to continue into 2026.
Treydan Stukes, Arizona
Projected 2nd to 3rd Round Pick
Height: 6’1
Weight: 190
Age: 24
40: 4.33
10-Yard Split: 1.50
Vertical: 38″
Broad Jump: 10′ 10″
At the 2026 combine, Stukes measured a near-perfect 9.95 Relative Athletic Score among his cornerback peers. Operating from the slot, at outside corner, and occasionally rotating into safety responsibilities, Stukes posted 52 tackles, four interceptions and six pass breakups while allowing zero touchdowns on 39 targets. With around 1100 career snaps at nickel, nearly 950 at outside corner, and over 500 at safety Stukes has the flexibility to be used as a chess piece week to week. I personally believe believe he’d be better used as an outside corner than at nickel in the NFL, where he won’t be in the box tackling on the majority of snaps.
At 24, his age seems to be the primary reason he’s being discussed as a Day 2 rather than Day 1 prospect. But for a Jacksonville team with duel Travis Hunter and Caleb Ransaw injury situations, Stukes could be exactly the kind of plug-and-play chess piece that makes sense on Day Two, providing depth and versatility with outside corner experience.
He registered an 83.2 PFF grade in man coverage this past year, third among all draft-eligible players, while also landing the second highest PFF grade for the class in zone coverage at 89.5.
Julian Neal, Arkansas
Projected 3rd-4th Round Pick
Height: 6’1
Weight: 203
Age: 23
40: 4.49
10-Yard Split: 1.59
Vertical: 40″
Broad Jump: 11′ 2″
Neal wasn’t the style of cornerback prospect who would win the pre-draft hype cycle, but he’s undoubtedly the type of player to win a coaching staff over quickly. As an older, polished, fundamentally sound corner, Neal’s game thrives on positioning, discipline, and awareness. He’s not overly flashy, but he rarely looks out of place, and that matters in a system that demands communication and trust on the back end. Throughout the off-season, I’ve often comped Neal with Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown, before later realizing both Neal and Brown played at Arkansas. The similarities and weaknesses in their games are likely on purpose, playing in a heavy zone defense, while showing strong, physical play at the line of scrimmage, paired with strong tackling.
For the Jaguars, Neal profiles as a high-floor option, similar to Brown. His two interceptions and 10 pass breakups in 12 games speaks volumes. He may not be the guy fans pound the table for on draft night, but he’s exactly the type of player who carves out a long NFL career by doing everything right. Julian registered as the fouth best zone corner in this draft class, per PFF with a 78.2 zone coverage grade this past year, and a 42.9 quarterback rating when in zone (8th).
Tacario Davis, Washington
Projected 3rd-4th Round Pick
Height: 6’4
Weight: 194
Age: 21
40: 4.41
10-Yard Split: 1.59
Vertical: 37
Broad Jump: 10′ 3″
If you could sketch up the ideal outside corner, Davis would check just about every box. He brings the rare length, size, and smooth movement skills to the position, the kind of traits that generally translate well when matching up with bigger, more physical receivers. At the catch point, he consistently makes life difficult, using his frame to contest and disrupt. What makes him especially intriguing, though, is how much untapped potential is obviously still there, as he continues to put all phases together.
Davis not being a finished product yet is exactly the appeal though, as a Day Two or Three prospect. With Tacario playing in just seven games in 2025, due to hamstring and rib injuries, teams will see a player they can develop into something much more, at a high value position, for a midround cost. In 2025 he collected two interceptions, three pass breakups, 19 tackles, the seventh best quarterback rating against in man coverage (48.9), and the sixth best against zone (42.6).
Charles Demmings, Stephen F Austin State
Projected 4th-5th Round Pick
Height: 6’1
Weight: 193
Age: 23
40: 4.41
10-Yard Split: 1.55
Vertical: 42″
Broad Jump: 11′ 0″
If you’re looking for a name that hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention, keep an eye on small school prospect Charles Demmings out of SFA. Similar to Tacario Davis, Demmings fits that same mold of long, outside-capable corner, but brings a slightly different flavor, as a more raw prospect, but with flashes that suggest real upside. He’s physical at the line, competitive through the route and dominant at the catch point.
Following his 2024 Second-team All Southland Conference performance collecting 10 pass breakups, two interceptions, and a tackle for loss in nine games, Demmings improved to First-team All-Conference in 2025. In 12 games last year he secured four interceptions, five pass breakups. His biggest question will be how he acclimates to the jump in competition. As a potential day three guy, Demmings is the definition of a traits-based investment.
Expect an Outside Corner Addition
Whether it’s a polished technician like Neal, a high-upside athlete like Davis, or a playmaking wildcard like Ponds, the Jaguars have options, and more importantly, they have a need. Don’t be surprised if cornerback becomes one of the most important storylines of Jacksonville’s draft weekend.
