Entering a contract year, it looked like cornerback Montaric Brown could tumble down the depth chart or even be a victim of the numbers game when the Jacksonville Jaguars added Jourdan Lewis and Travis Hunter in the offseason. However, he's gotten the most of his opportunities at Organized Team Activities and may even have a realistic shot at earning a starting spot. In fact, an NFL analyst believes the former Arkansas Razorback has been put in a position to succeed in 2025.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports joined the Jaguars Happy Hour and gave an assessment of the team's current cornerback group, pointing out that the new defensive system better suits Brown's strengths.
"The guy that I heard good things about is Montaric Brown. He's had a great offseason. And remember, Montana Brown can't press and play. Man, that's not who he is," Prisco told hosts J.P. Shadrick and Austen Lane. "And they asked him to do that a bunch, and he looked awful when he did it. But this, this group will play more zone. And I think this group, he fits better with what they want to do. So I, you know what? I've heard good things about the way he's played.
Prisco continued, "I think Jarrian Jones gives them some depth there. You know, Jordan Lewis is a pro. He can do a lot of different things. And Tyson Campbell, it'll look kick his contract to the side. He probably got a little overpaid right out of the gate, but that was the MO for that last regime. But he's still a good corner, so they'll be better across the board there."
A seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft, Brown hardly got any snaps as a rookie but saw an uptick in playing time the following year when Campbell got hurt. Similarly, he replaced Ronald Darby in the starting lineup and went on to appear in 882 total defensive snaps. But as Prisco noted, the Ashdown, Arkansas native struggled because he wasn't a fit in the team's past system.
Fast forward to 2025, and Brown has turned heads at OTAs, with John Shipley of Sports Illustrated reporting that the fourth-year cornerback has gotten nothing but praise from the coaching staff.
Montaric Brown is in a position to cash in with the Jaguars or another team
The Jaguars signed Jourdan Lewis in free agency and later traded up to select Travis Hunter second overall in the NFL Draft. With Jarrian Jones and Tyson Campbell in the mix, the Jacksonville Jaguars may not be able to bring Montaric Brown next season.
Whether he shows out or not, Brown is entering a contract year, and the Jags may be better off looking for his potential replacement in the 2026 draft. After all, it may be cheaper to replenish the position with one or two draft picks. On the other hand, Jacksonville will benefit if Brown plays well.
If Brown keeps taking advantage of his opportunities, it will be hard to deny him a significant role.
There's still plenty of time before the team sorts out the roster, but he's so far had a promising offseason.
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