Andrew

Wingard

Wingard suffered a knee injury in the Jaguars’ preseason game against the Chiefs and will see his absence stretch into the regular season. Wingard played in all 17 games for the Jaguars last season while making two starts. He totaled 45 tackles and one interception and has been a reliable backup for the Jaguars since joining the team as a UDFA in 2019.

A 26-year-old depth piece, Wingard played 217 regular season snaps in 2022. That number was way down from Wingard’s 2020-21 marks, but the Jags must appreciate his experience in the system and special teams ability. Wingard is far from an embarrassment when forced onto the field on defense.

The Jags extended a right of first refusal tender to Wingard at the start of free agency. With no takers on the open market, he returns to Jacksonville for roughly $2.4 million. Wingard, normally a special teams player, was elevated to a starting role in Jacksonville’s secondary last year. He earned 88 combined tackles, one interception, and a sack. Wingard was solid in coverage in 2021 and should return to his starting gig for the upcoming season.

The tender is worth around $2.4 million. Wingard primarily contributed on special teams early in his career, but he was a 15-game starter for the Jaguars last season, recording an interception and 88 tackles across 932 snaps. Because it is a right of first refusal tender, Jacksonville will not be awarded any compensation if Wingard signs somewhere else.

Wingard had a setback playing through an abdominal strain last week. The 23-year-old will miss at least three games on IR. Jarrod Wilson should pick up Wingard’s snaps.

Wingard’s MRI confirmed he’s only dealing with a minor groin strain. With Jacksonville on a mini-bye, it’s possible Wingard returns in Week 4.

The Jaguars placed S Andrew Wingard, WR Michael Walker, and TE Charles Jones on the list as well. Minshew went in 6-6 during his 12 starts in place of Nick Foles. His 7.3 adjusted yards per attempt ranked 13th among qualified passers. Minshew easily exceeded the expectations of a sixth-round quarterback in his rookie season. Armstead started one game in his rookie season and totaled 108 yards on 35 carries for the year.

Wingard (6’0/209) was a four-year starter in the Cowboys’ secondary, tallying 25 career tackles for loss, ten interceptions, and five forced fumbles and earning first-team All-Mountain West in each of his final three years. Wingard’s workout metrics at the Combine were pedestrian but NFL viable with 42nd-percentile SPARQ results and 4.56 speed. On tape, Wingard is a ubiquitous presence with a knack for finding the football but lacks man-cover skills and is at his best in the box. He should earn a special teams role early with a shot to become a low-end starting strong safety down the line.

Wingard (6’0/209) was a four-year starter in the Cowboys’ secondary, tallying 25 career tackles for loss, ten interceptions, and five forced fumbles and earning first-team All-Mountain West in each of his final three years. Wingard’s workout metrics at the Combine were pedestrian but NFL viable with 42nd-percentile SPARQ results and 4.56 speed. On tape, Wingard is a ubiquitous presence with a knack for finding the football but lacks man-cover skills and is at his best in the box. He should earn a special teams role early with a shot to become a low-end starting strong safety down the line.

Wingard has (somewhat) quietly been among the more productive safeties in college football in his time with the Cowboys, and he picked up 87 tackles, 2.5 for loss, two interceptions, and one pass breakup in 12 starts last year. The 6-foot, 209-pound safety did not test terribly well in Indianapolis with a 116.4 SPARQ score, and Zierlein notes the lack of athleticism shows up on tape at times. He also calls Wingard a capable open field tackler -- he’s 11th all-time in the FBS in that regard -- and he diagnoses quickly in both the run and pass game. “His lack of plus athleticism and makeup speed could create a ceiling on his draft value,” Zierlein writes, “but he’s a good Day 3 value with a solid shot of making a roster.”