5 Observations on Jaguars Minicamp, Day 1: Shenault, Agnew Take Centerstage

Jamal Agnew stood out throughout the first day of the Jaguars' three-day minicamp to close out the spring.

The Jacksonville Jaguars turned in the first of their three days of minicamp practice on Monday, with the day looking considerably different than OTAs due to the missing presence of nearly 50 veteran players.

But what did we see during Monday's practice and what could it mean moving forward? We break it down below.

What Monday's practice looked like

Doug Pederson meant it in a big way when he said the Jaguars accomplished all they needed in OTAs, because Monday's practice looked closer to rookie minicamp from earlier this offseason than anything else. This was always going to be the case with fewer than 40 players on the field and almost every single starter on the team not in attendance. 

In short, Monday's practice was a way for players to get tune-ups with their position coaches and in individual drills. Position groups worked through their own drills for most of practice, while special teams, 7-on-7, and red-zone work in 7-on-7 were worked on. It was a toned-down practice, just like what was to be expected when Doug Pederson said he was excusing most veterans from minicamp. The hay is already in the barn for the Jaguars' offseason in terms of on-field work. 

Laviska Shenault's presence is most noteworthy among veterans

There were a few veterans in place at Monday's practice, but any veteran there fell into two groups: either they were injured at the end of last year or the start of the offseason, such as Malcom Brown, Darious Williams, Rayshawn Jenkins, Rudy Ford, Jay Tufele and Jamal Agnew, or they were practice squad players the last few years like Tim Jones, Jeff Cotton Jr., or Nathan Cottrell. 

The only veteran who this didn't apply to? Wide receiver Laviska Shenault, the former second-round pick who has seen his role change under Pederson's staff. Shenault has been challenged to show improvement this offseason, and his appearance at Monday's limited minicamp could either be a sign that he is wanting all the reps he can to attack his third season, or a message from the Jaguars about where he is on the roster. It is worth pointing out Shenault had a good practice, not dropping a single pass in drills and drawing praise from coaches for his routes.

#Jaguars WR Laviska Shenault kicking off each drill for wideouts: pic.twitter.com/oyUchLdp5U

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) June 13, 2022

Jamal Agnew had a great practice, looking closer and closer to a return

One of the big names at minicamp was Jamal Agnew, the All-Pro returner and breakout receiver from last season. Agnew flashed serious talent at receiver in 2021 despite being relatively new to the position, and a big reason why is because of his rare movement skills. After suffering a hip injury at the end of last year, though, Agnew has had to work his way back this offseason.

Agnew sure looked like his old self during Monday's practice. He cut hard whenever he ran routes, made several acrobatic catches and didn't look like he has lost any of his speed. It will be interesting to see if he is fully cleared at the start of training camp, but he had a great day on Monday and shouldn't be expected to be much further off.

#Jaguars WR Jamal Agnew is looking a lot like himself: pic.twitter.com/tAbMA2stKk

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) June 13, 2022

EJ Perry gets a ton of valuable reps

Just in terms of sheer reps, no player benefitted more from the setup of this week's practices than EJ Perry, who was the only quarterback in attendance. Trevor Lawrence, CJ Beathard and Jake Luton all got the week off, leaving Perry alone with quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy to get 100% of the reps at quarterback. 

This meant Perry was able to get as many throws in during the practice that he will likely see in any practice all year. Perry has to fight with Luton for snaps in each practice, so having days like Monday where he can put as many throws on tape as possible is a good development. 

Which plays stood out

Again, Monday was mostly glorified 7-on-7 practice. With that said, a few players made impressive plays in the limited situation that stood out.

• Kevin Austin had a really good day. He didn't drop a pass and then helped generate an explosive play in 7-on-7, shaking free from a cornerback for a big gain down the left sideline. 
• Perry found Tim Jones for a touchdown on his first pass attempt in the red-zone. Perry showed a quick trigger to get the ball to Jones quickly, fitting it into a tight window over the middle of the field.
• Benjie Franklin nearly intercepted Perry in the middle of the field during 7-on-7. Perry tried to fit a ball to a covered Lujuan Winningham, resulting in a deflection from Franklin, who almost then caught the tipped pass.