Cornerback Montaric Brown suffered a leg injury in training camp and won't return until the regular season. The Jacksonville Jaguars did the sensible thing and signed veteran Levi Wallace as insurance. Unfortunately, things didn't play out the way they envisioned.
Just one week after signing Wallace, the team announced that it's placed Wallace on the Injured Reserve list. In a corresponding move, the Jags brought back Aydan White, who was originally waived to make room for Wallace.
White signed with Jacksonville after going undrafted. He registered the first interception of the team's training camp, but the Jaguars might've wanted an experienced player to fill in for Brown. Hence, the Wallance signing. But with him landing on IR, it only made sense to re-sign the rookie cornerback.
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What's next for the Jaguars after placing Levi Wallace on Injured Reserve?
It's fair to say that things didn't play out the way the Jacksonville Jaguars envisioned when they signed Levi Wallace. Sure, he struggled so badly during his lone season with the Denver Broncos that he got the boot after just 13 games. Having said that, the Alabama product has ample experience, having appeared in 96 contests with 72 starts.
Meanwhile, Aydan White is more of a developmental prospect at this stage of his career who may be better suited for the practice squad. The silver lining is that Montaric Brown is expected to return during the regular season. Whether he's back for the opener against the Carolina Panthers, that remains to be seen. The good news is that the Jags have the depth to overcome his absence short-term.
Tyson Campbell, Jourdan Lewis, Travis Hunter, and Jarrian Jones are the top four corners on the depth chart. Campbell will line up in the boundaries, and either Lewis or Jones will play opposite him. Whoever doesn't will man the slot. Hunter, for his part, may not get a full-time role but will most definitely get a significant amount of snaps.
That's four quality cornerbacks. The issue is the noticeable dropoff in the bottom half of the depth chart. Aside from White, sophomore Zach McPhearson and DeAntre Princeare are in the mix, but neither of them saw the field much in 2024. That's where Wallace could've come in handy in light of Brown's absence.
Ultimately, losing Levi Wallace is a blow the Jaguars can take. The problem will be if they suffer further injuries at corner.
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