When the Jacksonville Jaguars picked Greg Junior in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft, it was with the knowledge that transitioning to the NFL from Division II’s Ouachita Baptist could take some time.
Junior, 24, spent the majority of his rookie season on the practice squad and appeared in only one game. Now it looks like the cornerback could be ready to make more of an impact in his second season.
“Greg Junior has really stepped up a little bit, he’s kind of caught the attention,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Saturday at training camp. “I think just seeing his maturity. I think you’re seeing a second year understanding the defense, the terminology. Those are the things I see with him and those second-year players having the understanding of even how we practice. That goes a long way.”
The improvement from Junior comes at a great time for him as Jacksonville has stocked up on young cornerbacks. Fellow 2022 draft pick Montaric “Buster” Brown is also entering his second season and the Jaguars added defensive backs Antonio Johnson, Erick Hallett II, and Christian Braswell in the final day of the 2023 NFL draft.
With little experience on the roster behind starters Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams, a new and improved version of Junior could quickly earn play time in his second season.
Junior finished his collegiate career with 128 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 17 passes defended. At his pro day, the 6’0, 203-pound cornerback was timed at 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
