5 Jaguars to Watch Ahead of OTA No. 4
One of the most important periods for any team with a new head coach is organized team activities. While these practices are not mandatory, they do give teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and others with a new head coach a chance to share the field as a new team for the first time.
"I value the OTAs and from the standpoint of really being able to evaluate players this time of year, even though we’re not making roster moves and cutting it down to 53 and all that," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said last week ahead of the Jaguars' first OTA practice.
"But you still get a lot out of these as a coach and now you get to really put your team into game situations and really start coaching that here in the OTAs. Obviously, we’re going to protect each other but play fast and get our work done. What I look to get out of these next couple of weeks is just that, just the execution from phase two that we did individually and against each other now offense and defensively, how well the guys retain the information from the classroom to the football field, and playing fast, protecting each other, and just see where we are as a football team.”
On Tuesday, the Jaguars are set to take another step toward solidifying Pederson's team on and off the field, with the franchise holding OTA practice No. 4.
Which Jaguars will have the magnifying class on them at TIAA Bank Field on Tuesday, and which Jaguars will be the most important to track throughout the day? We break it all down below.
QB Trevor Lawrence
Well, this one is obvious. There is no player whose development and play is more ket to the Jaguars this season than Trevor Lawrence, last year's No. 1 overall pick. After a rookie season with just 12 passing scores and defined by Urban Meyer's all-time horrible tenure, the spotlight is on Lawrence to improve this season and play like the top quarterback prospect he was always billed as.
Lawrence's true progress and development won't be truly known until the Jaguars hit the field in an official game, but we can still get an idea of if his timing, accuracy and mechanics are taking a step forward. Gauging how well he has down Doug Pederson's playbook will be key, as well.
RB Travis Etienne
One of the most important players on the Jaguars' roster this year is running back Travis Etienne. He is freshly recovered from his preseason Lisfranc injury as a rookie but is still atop the Jaguars' offseason running back depth chart as James Robinson recovers. Seeing Etienne look explosive and agile in one of his first practices since his injury would be critical.
There is also the aspect of what kind of role Etienne is set to play in the offense. The potential for Etienne to receive a high volume of passing game targets is there, but it still needs to be sorted out exactly how he fits into Doug Pederson and Press Taylor's offensive scheme.
CB Tyson Campbell
The development of second-year players will be key for the Jaguars' level of success this season. That of course starts and ends with Trevor Lawrence, but the importance of Tyson Campbell's development leading into the 2022 season shouldn't go under the radar. There are few young playmakers in Jacksonville's secondary who are potential building blocks, but Campbell is exactly that type of player.
While there are no pads on during OTAs, we still get a good look at defensive backs matching up against wide receivers. With targets like Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram added to the offense this offseason, Campbell will face a stiffer test in practice this offseason than at any point last year. How much he improves and how quickly he acclimates to Mike Caldwell's defense will be key.
LB Devin Lloyd
How exactly are the Jaguars going to use Devin Lloyd? That is the big question following the team's trade up to No. 27 to select the Utah linebacker, who figures to slot in as the team's starting weak side linebacker next to Foyesade Oluokun. But Lloyd, who has the skill set to be used against the run, in coverage, as a blitzer, and even off the edge as a pass-rusher, will have to show he can shoulder all of the duties the Jaguars defense puts on his plate.
Lloyd's college film suggests he can play multiple roles at the next level, serving in a number of capacities to improve each level and stage of the defense. It is in OTAs, though, where Lloyd will have to prove he can handle everything the Jaguars and defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell throw at him.
WR Zay Jones
The big name at wide receiver for the Jaguars is clearly Christian Kirk, whose free agent deal this offseason helped change the landscape of the receiver market. And while Kirk is clearly a major piece of what the Jaguars are going to be in 2022, the name on the list for this practice is fellow free agent addition Zay Jones.
Jones, a former second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills who spent the last part of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders, was signed to a starter-level contract in March but doesn't get the attention of a starting receiver. He will have to play a massive role in the offense this year, so seeing him make plays against the defense and develop chemistry with Trevor Lawrence will be key.
