Jaguars Notebook: 5 Observations on Travon Walker and More From OTA No. 7
The Jacksonville Jaguars held their final open Organized Team Activity session for the 2023 offseason on Monday, with media getting their final chance to get eyes on the Jaguars' squad ahead of veteran minicamp.
What all did we see during Monday's practice at TIAA Bank Field and what could it mean moving forward? We break it down below.
Jaguars allowing Travon Walker to cross-train with the defensive line
Media is limited in the scope of what we can report from offseason practices, but head coach Doug Pederson did allude to one key offseason trend: Travon Walker cross-training with defensive line coach Brentson Buckner. Walker spent the entirety of his rookie year -- both games and practices -- working strictly with the outside linebackers and outside linebacker coach Bill Shuey. It appears the Jaguars have a modified plan for Walker's second year, however, which would more closely resemble the role he thrived at during college.
"Well Buck is your interior D-Line guy, Bill is more your outside backer guy. So being able to cross over and work inside, it's closer to the quarterback and with Travon's length, there's some things that Buck has more experience in than Bill does," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said. "So there's going to be some crossover there."
This doesn't mean that Walker is moving to the interior defensive line, but it is a good sign that the Jaguars' plan for Walker in his key second season is to allow him to do the things he is most comfortable doing. Walker has always been better with his hand in the dirt and the closer to the football he is, especially compared to the wide two-point alignment Walker was in for more or less the entirety of his rookie year.
Tyson Campbell shows off his leadership ability
One of the most important players for the Jaguars' present and future is undoubtedly third-year cornerback Tyson Campbell. And like Trevor Lawrence, Campbell is clearly growing into a leadership role as he progresses in his NFL career. After keeping his head down and working as a rookie before taking a huge Year 2 leap, it is clear just watching the defense during and after practice that Campbell's voice carries a lot of weight.
This was especially apparent after practice, with Campbell closely working on the field with rookie safety Antonio Johnson. Campbell was schooling the fifth-round pick on certain techniques and nuances in coverage, something that wasn't seen much during Campbell's first two years. That obviously isn't a knock on Campbell; instead it shows the natural progression of Campbell from a budding young player to now being one of the top veterans on the roster.
Tight end room has a big day
The Jaguars are without No. 1 tight end Evan Engram at practices until his franchise tag and contract situation is resolved, which means more reps for Luke Farrell, Gerrit Prince, and second-round rookie Brenton Strange. Considering Engram is a tested veteran who isn't in need of the reps to nearly the same degree that his three young and inexperienced backups are, it is a positive for the Jaguars' tight end depth to be tested this offseason.
That group had a terrific day on Monday, with Prince making one of the highlight plays of the practice with an athletic catch down the middle. He wasn't alone, either, with Farrell showing improved burst and reliable hands in the passing game and Strange making an impressive grab down the middle in his own right. There are few position groups on the Jaguars' roster that are as inexperienced behind the starter as the tight end room, so practices like Monday are more than encouraging.
"Luke didn't get a ton of reps last year, so this was great for him moving in there and obviously with Garrett Prince, just getting some opportunity there. And then of course with Brenton Strange too, it's great that we can give him more of a full load and see what he can do and what he can handle," Pederson said before practice.
"But yeah, it is what it is, but it's exciting for the young guys that are here because we get a chance to coach them and get them in a position to help us as we move forward."
Mike Caldwell clears up Devin Lloyd's pass-rush potential
One key aspect of the Jaguars' defense in 2023 will be the play of 2022 first-rounder Devin Lloyd. The No. 27 pick a year ago, Lloyd started his career on a hot streak in terms of turnovers before hitting a rookie wall in the middle of the season. With a full offseason now set to be under his belt, the expectations are for Lloyd to show a better understanding of the scheme as the starting inside linebacker next to Foyesade Oluokun.
"Devin, he's in a good spot, he really is, Mentally, physically, and you can just see he's playing faster," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said on Monday. "He recognizes things and from a first-year linebacker to a second-year linebacker, you can see the progression he's making and I'm excited for him. He's excited, ready to get this thing going and looking for big things from him."
"Linebacker" is the key term, though. Many have theorized that the presence of Lloyd, who occasionally rushed off the edge at Utah, could be a solution to the question of the Jaguars' pass-rush. But Caldwell made it clear on Monday that if Lloyd impacts the passer, it will be as a blitzing linebacker as opposed to being an edge rusher.
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"Well really Devin is a inside linebacker and inside linebackers typically blitz. So when you line them up on the end of the line -- which we have, we've lined him up there -- that's really not their forte, you know what I'm saying?" Caldwell said.
"But we need to give him more opportunities to blitz, which he did last year and we'll just continue to do that. He has a unique skill set where he can rush the quarterback, but it's typically against running backs, possibly a tight end, but that's the type of matchups we want to get him into. But offensive linemen, that's other people's areas."
Jaguars "slowing the pace down" represents what OTAs really are
Since fans are not allowed at OTAs, there are usually pretty big misconceptions about what the practices actually consist of and how important they are moving forward. While these practices are clearly important in terms of mental reps and learning schemes and developing chemistry, it is more than fair to say OTAs are a snail's pace compared to training camp and, obviously, regular season.
A good example of this is Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley. While Ridley has clearly impressed in flashes, it is also obvious that the Jaguars are not going to unleash him until the season draws closer. This goes for the entire team, too, with Pederson noting a slowed-down pace during Monday's press conference.
"Some of the things that I'm doing with the team drills as I'm trying to eliminate collisions. So we're slowing the pace down so [Ridley] can actually get in there. If you notice he's not a full speed, he's not doing anything a hundred percent and nor is the rest of the team," Pederson said. "So it's a way to get him in there under a controlled tempo. But it's good to see him get in there and he continues to learn and process the information and he's doing good."
