5 Things to Watch For at Jaguars OTA No. 1

What are the biggest things we are keeping our eyes on during the Jaguars' first OTA practice?

Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson on the field during Friday's rookie minicamp session. / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY

In under 24 hours, the Jacksonville Jaguars will hold their first organized team acitivity (OTA) of the 2024 season.

The rookies and veterans will be on the field together, players who ended the year injured will be back in practice, and we get a first look at what the Jaguars' 90-man roster looks like.

So, what will we be looking for at the start of OTAs? We break it down below.

Ryan Nielsen begins implementing his scheme

The biggest storyline throughout most of OTAs, minicamp, and training camp will likely be the Jaguars' new look defense. The Jaguars fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and most of his staff after their late-season collapse and hired arguably the top defensive coordinator on the market in Ryan Nielsen. Starting Monday, Nielsen can start the long and vital process of implementing his scheme.

The Jaguars obviously won't throw the kitchen sink at their defensive players on Monday. Nor is an OTA practice a flawless tell for what kind of defense we can expect. But the minor stepping stone is an important one, and it will be interesting to begin to contrast how different Nielsen and Caldwell truly are in terms of how they run the unit.

The rookie class mixing with the veterans

After the Jaguars rookies first hit the field during rookie minicamp a few weeks ago, the draft picks and undrafted free agents have been able to mix with the veteran locker room in the classroom. Now the rookie class consisting of Brian Thomas Jr., Maason Smith, Jarrian Jones, and several others will be able to be dropped into their veteran position groups for a full practice.

It would make sense to keep a close eye on the defensive line room in particular. Smith, the Jaguars' second-round pick, and fourth-round pick Jordan Jefferson will be able to take reps alongside respected veterans like Arik Armstead, Roy Robertson-Harris, DaVon Hamilton, and Adam Gotsis. The rookies will be able to soak up a wealth of knowledge from their veteran peers alone.

Four core pieces from the 2023 draft class

11 of the Jaguars' 13 draft picks from a year ago are on the roster ahead of OTA No. 1. The only two who aren't on the roster -- Raymond Vohasek and Derek Parish -- were the Jaguars' last two picks. And while the important pieces of the draft class are still on the roster, there will be four rookies to watch closely all offseason.

Brenton Strange: the second-year tight end should be more involved in the passing game this year after a solid season as a run-blocker. Strange should see the second-most snaps at tight end this year, and seeing where his traectory is now will be important.

Tank Bigsby: the Jaguars notably didn't add any competition for the third-round pick this offseason, showing they are all-in on him as their No. 2 back behind Travis Etienne. The Jaguars don't want to lean on Etienne as much as they did last year, so Bigsby will have a chance to make an impact.

Anton Harrison: Harrison was one of the best young right tackles in football last year. With another good season, Harrison could end the year as one of the five best players on the roster, and that campaign will start this week.

Antonio Johnson: how the Jaguars deploy the second-year defensive back will be one of the most fascinating parts of the Jaguars' season. He played well down the stretch but the Jaguars added Darnell Savage and Jarrian Jones, so the plan for the three versatile defensive backs will be key.

Cam Little vs. Riley Patterson

The biggest position battle that will kick off on Monday is the battle between rookie kicker Cam Little and veteran kicker Riley Patterson. Patterson has plenty of experience and even hit a playoff game-winner for the Jaguars in 2022, but the Jaguars spent a draft pick on Little and this alone makes him the favorite for the job.

Since the rest of the Jaguars' roster won't be in pads, this is the only position battle where any progress can really be made this week. While Little is the obvious favorite, anything can happen over the next few months depending on how the two practice.

Pecking order in wide receiver and cornerback rooms

Heading into Monday, the wide receiver room is probably the position group on the roster with the most turnover. Three key receivers from a year ago are off the roster and have been replaced by Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, and Devin Duvernay. Davis is unlikely to be on the field as he recovers from a 2023 injury, but seeing how the group performs as early as Monday will be a key storyline moving forward.

The same goes for the cornerback room. The top two spots are obviously taken by Tyson Campbell and Ronald Darby, but the rest of the depth chart seems up in the air. Two rookies (Jarrian Jones, Deantre Prince) will push for playing time, while former Day 3 picks Gregory Junior, Montaric Brown, Christian Braswell, and Erick Hallett will all have to fight veteran backups for snaps.