Jacksonville Jaguars Safety Johnathan Cyprien Running out of Time to Earn Keep

There may not have been a more exciting pick in the 2013 NFL draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars than Johnathan Cyprien in the second round. A hard-hitting box safety who played with an instinctual drive to make plays and lead.

Now, looking back at Cyprien's signing is a fond memory, but the emotion and excitement aren't quite there. Cyprien has not been as good as expected for the Jaguars, and his 2014 was a major step back from a promising rookie season.

First and foremost, let's compare his two seasons side-by-side:

	Solo Tackles	Sacks	Forced Fumbles	Interception	Passes Defended
2013	87	1	2	1	6
2014	80	0	0	0	4

Cyprien had lower numbers pretty much across the board, but, all in all, there's not necessarily a huge drop anywhere. The issue is the fact that there are some zeros in the list.

Cyprien had no sacks, no forced fumbles and no interceptions in 2014. Cyprien is a guy who makes his money on big plays—not necessarily interceptions but big plays as a whole. When he's not making those plays, it can get concerning.

Sure, Cyprien can't be expected to get sacks every season, but as for the forced fumbles and interceptions, that's where he has to shine. A safety has to be ready to make the big play whether it's an interception or a big hit.

The lack of big hits may be the biggest reason his season seemed to be a regression from 2013. He didn't look like he had the same ferociousness that he showed in college and in his rookie year. Whether that's due to harsh penalties or something else, I can't tell.

A number that sticks out to me in both seasons, however, is his low number of passes defended. Six in his rookie year was a very good showing, but dropping to four total in his sophomore year was definitely not the direction many expected him to go in 2014.

He's not the best in coverage, so high numbers of passes defended aren't necessarily realistic. But when his numbers drop in almost every category, it raises some questions.

The fact that many expected him to improve in 2014, including myself, doesn't help his situation. For a guy who showed so much work ethic and potential, how did he take a step backward?

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

It may be because he never got over his initial injury against the Philadelphia Eagles. It could be that he just wasn't at the right place at the right time. Whatever the reason doesn't really matter, though.

The Jaguars are a team that has been developing over the past couple of years, and they're looking to compete sooner rather than later. What that means for Cyprien is that he has a small window to, at the very least, return to the play of his rookie year.

Cyprien is a much-loved player by the fanbase and a valued member of the team, but last season was undeniably a disappointment. As a guy who looked to be a current star and future leader of the team, it's unacceptable that he performed closer to the bottom half of the secondary.

This team is looking to him not only to perform but to lead the Jaguars in the future. It's extremely important that Cyprien find his former self this upcoming season. If he doesn't, it's just another task in the already difficult job of competing in the NFL.

All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.

Evan Reier is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter at @evanreier.