Jaguars Notebook: Brian Thomas Jr., Devin Lloyd and Other Observations From OTA No. 4

What did we see during the Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth OTA practice?

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and quarterback Mac Jones (10) look to pass during an organized team activity Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

The Jacksonville Jaguars held their fourth OTA on Tuesday, giving local media a chance to take another look at the Jaguars' 90-man roster during voluntary workouts.

Most of the Jaguars' roster was there sans offensive tackle Cam Robinson and Travis Etienne due to travel issues, which meant another opportunity to evaluate the Jaguars' roster ahead of training camp.

So, what did we see at OTA No. 4? We break it down below.

Gabe Davis makes his semi-debut

The Jaguars' big fish in free agency on the offensive side of the ball is wide receiver Gabe Davis, who had his first Jaguars practice in front of local media on Tuesday. While it wasn't Davis' first official practice with the Jaguars, it was our first chance to see him and Trevor Lawrence begin to develop their chemistry.

Davis didn't participate in team drills like offense vs. defense or 7-on-7 on Tuesday, with the Jaguars noting before practice that their plan is to slow-play his return to the field after recovering from a 2023 injury. And while we haven't yet seen what Davis and the full first-team offense look like together, Davis did show off some good hands to go along with his size on Tuesday. Lawrence and him got a good amount of reps together during the first half of practice, which will likely continue.

"Yeah, going to go slow with him. He worked in last week and he is going to work in some more today. Just keeping him out of the team stuff," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said before practice on Tuesday. "Just don't want to get tangled up and something to happen out there. A lot of the individual stuff, he's getting a lot of work with Trevor right now, which is good. Just going to go slow with that one."

Devin Lloyd looks like a new player

Each offseason, there is one player who shows up to OTAs looking like a completely different player. Athletes prepare hard in the offseason and during their downtime, and it is usually an indication of work ethic when a player comes to voluntary practices looking in peak physical shape. For the Jacksonville Jaguars this year, that player is linebacker Devin Lloyd.

Lloyd has always been an impressive athlete. His blend of length and speed is a big reason he was a first-round pick and was one of the top linebackers in college during his time at Utah. But on Tuesday, Lloyd looked noticeably bigger. He made Foyesade Oluokun look almost small next to him which is, well, not an easy task. He is also playing with some of the highest confidence and aggression that he has shown in practices in his career, at least from the ones open to the media. He could be a breakout player in 2024.

Brian Thomas Jr. flashes

There were a couple of nice moments from the Jaguars' 2024 draft class on Tuesday. Third-round cornerback Jarrian Jones broke up two passes and consistently looked like he belonged, while Keilan Robinson showed off his speed on offense and special teams. But it was first-round wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. who flashed the most during the day.

While some portions of practice are on air and don't bear much resemblance to what Thomas will see on Sundays, there are still moments throughout practice where worthwhile reps occur. Thomas made one impressive touchdown in the corner of the end zone in red-zone drills. Lawrence put the ball where only Thomas could get it, and the rookie receiver used his catch radius to haul it in. It wasn't the perfect day with one dropped touchdown later in the practice, but Thomas' speed and hands overall flashed a good bit on Tuesday;.

Cam Little shows off his leg

The Jaguars are calling the kicker competition right down the middle as of now. Cam Little is the obvious favorite over Riley Patterson since he is someone the Jaguars actually invested a draft pick into, but the best kicker will win the job ultimately. And right now, there isn't a ton of movement in this battle because each is getting equal reps.

"Yeah, we are giving them equal opportunity on the field. When we have kicking days they're getting equal shots, whether it's the field goals or kickoffs," Pederson said before practice.

"Again, yes, it's competition, but at the same time, we're getting everybody some work and seeing where they are. Both guys have done a great job. Cam, obviously we're still learning him and what he can do, but he's got some leg talent. So does Riley. It'll be interesting in camp to see where it plays out."

But while no kicking jobs were won on Tuesday, Little did show off a big leg during one rep. During a special teams period, Little hit a 52-yard field goal that likely would have been good from 55. The Jaguars have consistency issues at kicker both due to lack of range and lack of accuracy. If Little kicks like he did on Tuesday, he could be the answer in the middle they have been missing.

Play of the day

This is a tough one because the end result of this play could certainly be debated, but I am going with a Trevor Lawrence touchdown to Christian Kirk in the red-zone during 7-on-7 drills. There is no defensive back contact allowed during this portion of training camp, but Kirk still made an impressive grab on a high-velocity throw from Lawrence in traffic to come down with the touchdown.

The catch did take place in the back of the end-zone and there was some debate on whether Kirk was in or out, but from my vantage point ... that was a catch. And a good one, too.