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The Jaguars re-signed cornerback Keith Taylor
The Jacksonville Jaguars ended in heartbreaking fashion as they lost their home playoff game to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round. In head coach Liam Coen’s first season, the Jaguars ended the regular season on an impressive eight-game winning streak, which resulted in Jacksonville winning the AFC South for the first time since 2022.
Unfortunately, despite surpassing expectations last season, it will be difficult for the Jaguars to make another jump next season. They are currently projected to have the third-fewest cap space in the NFL, according to OverTheCap. And they also risk losing second-team All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne, as both are set to be free agents next month.
Additionally, the Jaguars will not have a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, as they traded their selection away in a move that saw them land Travis Hunter. After playing a dual role in his rookie season, Hunter will primarily play as a cornerback for the Jaguars in 2026. Hunter will join a cornerback room that recently re-signed one of their players who was set to hit free agency.
Jacksonville Jaguars Re-Sign Keith Taylor
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they had re-signed cornerback Keith Taylor. He was set to be a restricted free agent when the new NFL league year begins in March. Taylor signed with the Jaguars toward the end of last season and saw brief playing time in the team’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, where he played a role on special teams.
Prior to signing with the Jaguars, Taylor played in two games for the Atlanta Falcons where he participated in 64 snaps as a cornerback. Coming into the league in 2021, he was viewed by NFLDraftBuzz as “Tough and scrappy with forceful nature to be physical at all levels of the field. Has good bulk on his frame to be aggressive in run support.”
Taylor was drafted in the fifth round by the Carolina Panthers, where he spent two seasons. He then joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023, where he also played two seasons.
Jaguars Cornerbacks
The primary news regarding the team’s cornerback situation is that Travis Hunter will now be mostly used as a cornerback. NFL Network insider Cameron Wolfe said, “From what I understand, they plan to play him as a full-time cornerback [and] a part-time receiver, which is a switch from last year, when he played more than double his snaps at receiver than cornerback.”
The decision makes sense, as the Jaguars acquired wide receiver Jakobi Meyers following Hunter’s injury last season. Meyers excelled with the team, which led to him landing an extension. Meanwhile, the team is thin at cornerback as Greg Newsome and Montaric Brown are both set to be free agents.
Pro Football Focus’ Daire Carragher agreed with the decision, as he wrote, “Travis Hunter performed better as a cornerback than a receiver as a rookie: Hunter played 323 offensive snaps in his rookie season, earning a 62.2 PFF offensive grade. On defense, he logged 162 snaps and posted a 73.2 PFF defensive grade.”
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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