JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars began the second round by drafting Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell with the 33rd overall selection. Many analysts had Campbell graded as a first-round talent, but others projected him to be a mid-second round pick. Here’s what you need to know about Campbell.
Background
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Born in Plantation on St. Patrick’s Day, 2000, Campbell went to American Heritage High School, a football power in the state. He was high school teammates with Patrick Surtain II and the duo was ranked as the top two high school corners (Campbell was ranked No. 2).
Campbell chose to attend Georgia and became a starter as a true freshman. He started all three years for the Bulldogs and his lone interception came against South Carolina in 2020. He was credited with 10 passes defended and three fumbles recovered in his college career. He returned two of the three fumbles for touchdowns.
His speed was evident throughout his playing career, and during his Pro Day in Athens, he was hand-timed with a blazing 4.34 in the 40-yard dash. At 6-2, he has the length that many NFL teams look for.
Quotable
“Coach Meyer came to a football camp down in Florida, it was at FIU. I think him and [Alabama Head Coach Nick] Saban were there, and I got a chance to meet him and [Ohio State Defensive Coordinator] Coach Coombs at the time. We just hit it off from there and always had a great relationship. Unfortunately, I didn’t choose the Ohio State University, but I always knew me and Coach Meyer always got along well. It all played out perfectly, so I’m excited. He gave me a hard time about it, but we laughed about it too.” — Campbell on being recruited by Urban Meyer
“Last year was a tough year for us; we had a lot of injuries back there. The thing Tyson Campbell gave is flexibility at something other — he was a safety in high school and he’s a very physical player, great blitzer. Those are all qualities of the nickel. They’re very hard to find. I go back to Florida days, a Will Hill or an Ahmad Black, but they’re hard to find, the guys that can go inside and outside, and that’s the reason when we saw him sitting there — I didn’t know he’d make it there — we were worried he’d be gone before then.” — Urban Meyer on drafting Campbell, even though the Jaguars have CJ Henderson and Shaquill Griffin on the roster at cornerback
Highlights
Here are some of Campbell’s bigger moments at Georgia.
Here’s Campbell’s lone interception of his college career:
What the analysts are saying
“The Jaguars reached for a corner at the top of Round 2, as Tyson Campbell (33) has first-round traits but maddening tape. There were better cornerbacks available.” — Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
“Overall, Campbell has a rare (and raw) combination of high-end traits to develop into an NFL starting press-man corner, but his struggles to consistently find and make plays on the football are a glaring hole in his game. He will require patience at the next level, projecting as a high risk, high reward prospect.” — Dane Brugler, The Athletic
“Their best pick may have been Tyson Campbell, who was part of a brilliant Georgia secondary that has churned out some high-end talent over the past three years. Watching him against DeVonta Smith last year, Campbell did appear at a disadvantage but didn’t look completely overwhelmed.” — Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated