Professional career
Pre-draft
On January 6, 2021, Campbell announced his decision to forgo his senior year and declared for the 2021 NFL draft. The consensus among NFL draft analysts projected him to be selected in the second or third round. He was ranked as the seventh best cornerback in the draft by a draft analyst from Sports Illustrated and Daniel Jeremiah from NFL.com. [9] Sports Illustrated senior scout Lorenz Leinweber ranked him ninth among all cornerbacks. [10] Dan Brugler from the New York Times ranked Campbell as the eighth cornerback in 2021. [11]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 2021 Draft Prospects: Tyson Campbell |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 193 lb (88 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 4.36 s | 1.53 s | 2.51 s | 4.45 s | 7.15 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) | 12 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day [12] [13] | ||||||||||||
2021
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Campbell in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2021 NFL draft. He was the sixth cornerback drafted in 2021. [14]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Jaguars select Tyson Campbell No. 33 | |
| Inside the draft room: Tyson Campbell |
""I wouldn't say 'insurance policy'. It's an 'insurance policy,' the fact that guys get dinged up at that position. Last year was a tough year for us. We had a lot of injuries back there. But it's also — the thing Tyson Campbell gives us is flexibility, something other than (cornerback). He was a safety in high school and he's a very physical player, great blitzer. Those are all the qualities of a nickel. So to have a guy — they're very hard to find. I go back to Florida days of Will Hill or Ahmad Black. But they're hard to find, the guys that can go inside and outside. And that's the reason why. When we saw him sitting there, I didn't know he'd make it there. We were worried he'd be gone before that." [15]
On July 20, 2021, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Campbell to a four-year, $9.01 million contract that includes $5.98 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3.91 million. [16] [17]
Throughout training camp, Campbell competed against Chris Claybrooks, Tre Herndon, Nevin Lawson, and Sidney Jones to earn the third spot at cornerback on the depth chart and a role as the starting nickelback. [18] Head coach Urban Meyer listed Campbell as the third cornerback on the depth chart behind starting cornerback duo C. J. Henderson and Shaquill Griffin. [19] [20]
On September 12, 2021, Campbell made his professional regular season debut and recorded two solo tackles in a 21–37 loss at the Houston Texans. On September 19, 2021, Campbell earned his first career start as a slot cornerback and made three combined tackles (two solo) and a pass deflection in 13–23 loss to the Denver Broncos. On September 21, 2021, the Jaguars traded C. J. Henderson to the Carolina Panthers. Defensive coordinator Joe Cullen subsequently elevated Campbell to starting cornerback, alongside Shaquill Griffin. [21] In Week 4, he collected a season–high nine combined tackles (four solo) as the Jaguars lost 21-24 at the Cincinnati Bengals. He was sidelined for two games (Weeks 5–6) due to a toe injury. On November 28, 2021, Campbell made three combined tackles (two solo), a season-high three pass deflections, and had his first career interception off a pass by Matt Ryan intended for tight end Kyle Pitts in the Jaguars' 14-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. [22] On December 16, 2021 the Jacksonville Jaguars fired head coach Urban Meyer with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell named the interim head coach. [23] Campbell completed his rookie season in 2021 with a total of 73 combined tackles (49 solo), ten pass deflections, and two interceptions in 15 games and 14 starts. [24] He received an overall grade of 62.7 from Pro Football Focus as a rookie in 2021. [25]
2022
On February 3, 2022, the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Doug Pederson as their head coach. [26] Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell chose to have Campbell and Shaquill Griffin remain as the starting cornerbacks along with Darious Williams starting at nickelback. [27]
On September 12, 2022, Campbell started in the Jaguars' season-opener and recorded three combined tackles (two solo), deflected a pass, and made his first interception of the season on a pass by Carson Wentz to Jahan Dotson during the fourth quarter of a 20-28 loss at the Washington Commanders. [28] In Week 6, Campbell collected a season-high 7 solo tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, and a forced fumble in a 27-34 loss at the Indianapolis Colts. On January 1, 2023, Campbell had three combined tackles (two solo) and scored the first touchdown of his career when teammate Josh Hines-Allen sacked and forced a fumble by Davis Mills that Campbell subsequently recovered and returned it for a 12-yard touchdown in a 31–3 victory over the Houston Texans. [29] In Week 18, he made five combined tackles (three solo), a pass deflection, and set a career-high of three interceptions in a single season when he intercepted a pass from Joshua Dobbs to Treylon Burks in a 20-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans. [30] He started all 17 games during the 2022 NFL season and finished with 70 combined tackles (52 solo), three interceptions, 15 passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. [31] He received an overall grade of 82.1 from Pro Football Focus, which was the fifth highest grade among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2022. [32] He also received a defensive grade of 80.8 from PFF, which ranked seventh amongst all cornerbacks. [33] [25]
2023
Campbell was expected to takeover as the top cornerback after Shaquill Griffin departed during free agency. Head coach Doug Pederson named Campbell a starting cornerback to kick off the season, alongside Darious Williams and Tre Herndon. [34]
In Week 1, Campbell recorded six solo tackles, deflected a pass, and made his first and only interception of the season from a pass thrown by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson in a 31–21 win at the Indianapolis Colts. [35] He missed two games (Weeks 7–8) due to a hamstring injury. After reaggravating the hamstring injury, he was sidelined for two more games (Weeks 11–12). Campbell sustained a quadriceps injury and was inactive for another two games (Weeks 14–15). On December 31, 2023, Campbell recorded a season-high eight combined tackles (seven solo) and made one pass deflection in a 26–0 win over the Carolina Panthers. He finished the 2023 NFL season with a total of 60 combined tackles (41 solo), five pass deflections, and one interception in 11 games and 11 starts. [36] Pro Football Focus had Campbell complete the season with an overall grade of 61.5 in 2023. [25]
2024
On January 8, 2024, head coach Doug Pederson fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the entire coaching staff. On January 22, 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars hired former Atlanta Falcons' defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen as their new defensive coordinator. [37]
On July 23, 2024, the Jaguars signed Campbell to a four-year, $76.50 million contract that includes $53.40 million guaranteed $31.50 million guaranteed upon signing and a signing bonus of $16.00 million. [38] Head coach Doug Pederson named Campbell and Ronald Darby the starting cornerback tandem to begin the regular season. [39]
On September 12, 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars officially placed Campbell on injured reserve after he injured his hamstring in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. He would be sidelined for five consecutive games (Weeks 2–6). [40] He was activated on October 19. [41] In Week 9, he collected a season-high nine combined tackles (four solo) and made one pass deflection during a 23–28 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles. [42] He finished the 2024 NFL season with a total of 59 combined tackles (42 solo) and six pass deflections in 12 games and 12 starts. [43] He received an overall grade of 62.9 from Pro Football Focus in 2024, which ranked 103rd among 222 qualifying cornerbacks. [25]