Jaguars Mailbag: What To Watch For As OTAs Kickoff

In this week's mailbag, we take a look at what to watch for at OTAs on Monday, which rookies are standing out thus far and more.

Throughout the offseason, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars until Week 1.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

In this week's mailbag, we take questions on OTAs, the rookie class, and more. 

Q: Who is the leader on this defense?

A: I think you can point to a few different guys: Roy Robertson-Harris, Josh Allen, Tyson Campbell, and Rayshawn Jenkins all immediately come to mind in their own ways. I would say the consensus for the leader on the defense, though, is inside linebacker Foyesade Oluokun. Oluokun's reliability in every facet of the defense has led to him earning the respect of essentially anyone and everyone in the locker room. Oluokun is the voice and the heart of the defense, at least from my perspective. 

Q: The fan base is fully convinced Trevor is elite as they should. But what were some things you or the coaching staff still saw late in the year that he needs to improve on?

A: I think the obvious answer is red-zone passing. Lawrence struggled mightily in the red-zone as a rookie and then had a slow start in that respect in 2022, with several of his biggest turnovers during the first-half of the season coming in the red-zone. Lawrence showed gradual and tangible improvement throughout the season, though, becoming much more efficient and careful with the football in the condensed area of the field by the end of the year. For him to take that next step he will have to avoid that early-season slow start and show overall consistency. 

Q: Dark horse to make the roster and surprise cut?

A: After rookie minicamp and the draft, my guess at dark horse to make the roster is undrafted Colorado State linebacker Dequan Jackson. Jackson tested well and has the makeup of a special teams ace who provides depth at the end of the linebacker depth chart. As for surprise cut, I think I would go with Daniel Thomas. The Antonio Johnson pick puts pressure on Thomas entering his contract year, while Erick Hallett can also take snaps at safety and make things difficult for the former fifth-round pick and special teams contributor. 

Q: Jags vs Chiefs week 2. Nothing major changes as to defensive personnel, so what can this defense do differently to prevent Mahomes from finding Kelce nearly every 3rd down again?

A: I think the big thing the Jaguars can do differently is simply execute. The Jaguars will have older and more experienced players covering Kelce in second-year linebackers Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma and third-year safety Andre Cisco. If stopping Kelce and Patrick Mahomes was that easy, someone would have found the answer by now. The Jaguars' best hope is developing the players they drafted to be playmakers. 

Q: How big of a jump can we expect from Trevor this year? It seems like he took his big jump this past season, but now adding Ridley can we expect another jump like we saw with Allen, Burrow, and Hurts after they got their alpha number 1s?

A: I think the jump you saw from Trevor Lawrence last year was obviously significant and something that he needed to show. With that said, I personally do not believe he is anywhere near his potential. A lot of people forget that Lawrence is only 23, while Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes were both 25 entering their third seasons. A lot of people might have Lawrence fatigue since he has been anointed as the next great quarterback for almost half a decade now, but the simple fact is that his transition into a superstar quarterback is just starting. By the end of the year, I think you will see a lot of people making the argument he is the top quarterback not named Mahomes. 

Q: How important to the Jags off-season preparation is it to have Engram under contract? Has the recent TE signings and the draft hurt his negotiations and would he hold out into training camp?

A: It is important for any player to be there, but one thing people don't factor when it comes to Evan Engram is the fact that he is a player who nobody will have question whether he is ready. Engram is one of the hardest workers on the team and is obviously working hard to prepare for the season. Considering he has already spent a year in the offense, it isn't a huge deal that he isn't there. I also do not think it is a huge deal that the Jaguars drafted a rookie tight end, at least when it comes to his negotiations. Whether this continues into training camp is up in the air, but I personally believe he signs a deal before then.

Q: Take any Jaguar of all time and put them on this roster to make a SB run, who are you adding?

A: This is tough. Jalen Ramsey and Rashean Mathis are up there, while Tony Boselli, Tony Brackens, and John Henderson can't be ignored. Ultimately, though, I am going to go with Daryl Smith. He would completely erase any question marks the Jaguars have at the second level and just make them a better defense in every facet. 

Q: John, what are the main things you'll be looking for in the next couple weeks of OTA's?

A: Calvin Ridley and his developing chemistry with Trevor Lawrence will obviously be the biggest thing. This will be the first time media will actually be able to see Ridley on the practice field, so he will likely be the biggest area of attention early on. Otherwise, I think the offensive line's set-up with an injured Ben Bartch will be interesting to monitor. The Jaguars have a lot of backup offensive line spots up for grabs. Lastly, who steps up at tight end if Evan Engram isn't at the voluntary practice? Could it be Brenton Strange or third-year tight end Luke Farrell? 

Q: How is Calvin Ridley adjusting to the new system, and how is he performing after missing so much time?

A: That is the key question. Ridley has drawn positive reviews from those who have seen him on the practice field and in workouts to this point in the offseason, but the Jaguars are still in the infancy steps of putting together their 2023 offense. How comfortable he looks with Trevor Lawrence will be a key storyline during OTAs, but all signs are positive on Ridley so far.

Q: Jags GM Trent Baalke said before this year's NFL Draft that his team had identified 127 players for their draft board. Of the 13 draft picks the Jaguars made, how many were among the 127?

A: I think you can safely assume most of them were, honestly. Every team's board looks different, especially after the top-100, and that doesn't even include some top-100 players who the Jaguars potentially had off their board. If it isn't 13-for-13, I think it would be close to it.