5 Observations on the Jaguars' Unofficial Preseason Offensive Depth Chart

Jacksonville has released its unofficial depth chart ahead of Saturday's game against the Browns. What does the order of the offensive players suggest?

It is August, which can only mean one thing: It is depth chart season.

Depth charts from throughout the league are being released as all 32 teams prep for the preseason and the true return to football. And while the charts are all unofficial -- and many are not even made by the coaching staff's throughout the NFL -- it can still give us an idea of where some players stand.

So, what does the Jaguars' offensive depth chart ahead of the preseason kickoff tell us? We break it all down here.

Jaguars unsurprisingly not showing their hand at quarterback

The Jaguars are not making this easy for everyone else when it comes to quarterback. As expected by most within Jacksonville, the Jaguars listed Gardner Minshew and Trevor Lawrence each as starters, placing a simple "or" between their names to signify as much. While it seems obvious to hand the No. 1 overall pick the starting job as early as possible to ensure he gets the reps he needs for the regular season, the Jaguars' trio of Urban Meyer, Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer are taking Lawrence's development slower than most assumed they would.

This will undoubtedly change the closer the Jaguars get to Week 1's road opener against the Houston Texans, but that won't change ahead of the preseason home opener against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. For now, Minshew and Lawrence are still taking their turns with the starting offense, a trend that will likely continue on Saturday. Considering this has been the Jaguars' strategy for the entire duration of camp, though, it is far from a surprise to see Minshew and Lawrence listed as co-starters.

“Trevor [Lawrence]’s done well. There was two days in there, we moved him back a little bit and I think he responded. Like I’ve told you guys, he’s really into it. It’s really super important to him," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said on Wednesday.

"He’s working hard every day. [Passing Game Coordinator] Brian Schottenheimer’s doing a hell of a job with him, so he’s in good hands that way. But the last couple days, the last four, you can kind of see him continue to make that climb again.”

Rookies get the expected treatment at RB and OL

It is the case with 32 teams each August. As unofficial depth charts come out following a dozen training camp practices, rookies see their names listed with the second and third teams as they earn their stripes on the practice and preseason field. And unsurprisingly, the Jaguars weren't alone, even without taking into account Lawrence's place on the depth chart alongside Minshew.

While it is understandably jarring to see Travis Etienne listed behind Carlos Hyde -- who is listed as an "or" starter at running back with James Robinson, that more or less tracks with what the Jaguars have shown in training camp. Etienne has gotten a ton of reps with the starters, but Hyde and Robinson have gotten more true rushing carries. This doesn't mean Etienne, who is notably listed as a running back and not a receiver, won't have a significant role. He has been the team's best pass-catching running back in camp and it is clear the Jaguars plan to utilize his speed in space.

At left tackle, we saw the same thing play out with Cam Robinson and Walker Little. Little has been arguably the Jaguars' best offensive tackle in camp as a rookie, but Robinson has legitimately taken every single rep with the starters. Little was always going to be a backup early on in part due to his status as a rookie, so this checks out. There was no reason to believe Little would be projected as a starter after 12 camp practices where Robinson took every starting rep, after all.

Luke Farrell makes an impression

If there was one Jaguars' draft pick who entered training camp with minimal hype, it was fifth-round tight end Luke Farrell. The former Ohio State tight end, whom Meyer recruited out of high school and then coached in college, was primarily brought in for his blocking skills, but he has impressed throughout camp. As a result, Farrell finds himself above Ben Ellefson on the unofficial depth chart and behind just Chris Manhertz and James O'Shaughnessy.

Farrell seems like a lock to make the Jaguars' roster after coming up with big grab after big grab in camp. He is a young blocking tight end for the staff to develop, but he also showed consistent promise as a pass-catcher. There is a solid chance he plays the third-most snaps among the tight ends this season, and the unofficial depth chart is a solid reflection of that. That isn't to say expect huge things from Farrell as a rookie, but he has stood out.

Only one surprise in the trenches: Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms, not Derwin Gray, is listed as second-team OL

One of the Jaguars' most impressive backup offensive linemen is a third-stringer based on the unofficial depth chart. But for all other intents and purposes, the Jaguars' offensive line order is just as expected. The offensive line has had some of the fewest question marks in terms of roster turnover and starting roles, in large part because of the continuity along the unit. The Jaguars' offensive line is exactly as expected at nine spots -- the Jaguars are returning five starters, three key backups from a year ago and Walker Little's spot is clear.

With that said, it is surprising to see Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms -- and not Derwin Gray -- listed as a second-team guard. This is likely a result of Andrew Norwell and Ben Bartch taking the first two left guard spots, but Gray has shown enough in camp to at least earn a symbolic spot with the second team. Again, this could be due to semantics, but Gray has been the team's 10th best lineman in camp -- and maybe even better.

Laquon Treadwell over Collin Johnson is surprising, but not as surprising as Phillip Dorsett over Johnson

The masses of fans outside of Jacksonville were likely surprised to see Laquon Treadwell listed as a second-team receiver. It isn't surprising on our end because we have seen Treadwell take advantage of his opportunities throughout camp and come down with several big grabs. All in all, Treadwell has been arguably the team's fourth or fifth best receiver in camp.

“Laquon’s really been impressive as he’s been here. I think he’s worked his tail off," Bevell said on Wednesday. "With the guys that have been down ahead of him, it’s given him a lot of opportunities to be out on the field and he’s making most of the plays that are coming his way, so I like what he’s doing.”

But with that in mind, it is still surprising to see Collin Johnson behind him. Johnson has arguably been just as impressive as Treadwell in recent practices, and he has more of a speed element to his game than the former first-round pick. With that said, at least Treadwell's place can be justified by his strong camp. What is harder to justify is Phillip Dorsett's role with the second team. Dorsett had an inside track to the Jaguars' No. 4 receiver role heading into camp, but a hamstring injury has forced him to miss over a week of practice. Johnson hasn't just been more available than him in camp, but he has been better than Dorsett was before he got injured, too.