Jaguars Notebook: 5 Observations on Tank Bigsby, Nathan Rourke From Day 2 of Minicamp
The Jacksonville Jaguars are this much closer to breaking for the summer.
After the first day of minicamp, the Jaguars held Day 2 of the three-day practice sessions on Tuesday. So, what all did we see at TIAA Bank Field on Tuesday? We break it down below.
Tank Bigsby continues to excite ahead of training camp
Anything that comes after this sentence needs to be taken with the context of this being minicamp. Minicamp is already a glorified week of walkthroughs to begin with, but there are also only two starters on defense for the Jaguars' offense to go against in Josh Allen and Devin Lloyd. With that said, there is no doubt that the player to watch for the Jaguars in these settings has been Tank Bigsby.
Bigsby seems to impress everyone who sees him up close for the first time this week just based on his massive size and bulk alone, but the No. 88 overall pick and former Auburn bell-cow has shown time and time again that he isn't just a big back. He has impressed with a number of grabs during individual and team drills all offseason and Tuesday was more of the same, with Bigsby making several notable grabs that show he is a natural pass-catcher. There is a lot more that comes to the passing game than simply being good at catching the ball, but the explosive Bigsby has at least answered any questions about himself in that regard this week and in past weeks.
What the Jaguars may have in Nathan Rourke
It is hard to get a lot of reps at quarterback when are third in the pecking order, so this week has been a great chance for Jaguars' quarterback Nathan Rourke to show the Jaguars what they have. The former CFL standout has been the only quarterback to get reps during minicamp after Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard were given the week off, a period that has helped show what he brings to the table.
From our perspective, Rourke is the type of quarterback who makes sense to develop in the No. 3 role. He has more zip to his passes and natural arm talent than other No. 3 quarterbacks who have come into Jaguars' camp in recent years, while also showing some solid accuracy on his deep ball. The down-to-down accuracy is still a work in progress, but Rourke has been intriguing enough to keep an eye on.
Foyesade Oluokun continues to be the Hardest Working Man in Show Business
Foyesade Oluokun is the Jaguars' James Brown; he never takes a day off. While most of the Jaguars' veterans have been excused for the rest of the offseason after OTAs, Oluokun is one player who has stuck around the facility. He likely isn't alone, and he isn't on the field practicing, but it goes to show why Oluokun commands such respect inside the Jaguars' locker room. Even during a time where the Jaguars' staff is encouraging veterans to get away and recharge their batteries before camp, Oluokun is still choosing being inside the Jaguars' building and working toward winning in 2023.
"Well he's not supposed to be," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said with a laugh when asked about Oluokin's minicamp presence. I think I told you guys last year that his nickname. W call him James Brown, the hardest-working man in show business and that just continues. He sat in every meeting, so I told him yesterday, I was like, you might want to come up here and do the installation. You know it so why don't you talk? He was like, nah, nah, you go ahead and do it. So I end up doing it and then I see him today, he's back in there.
"But it just shows the type of guy because coach Bob [Sutton], coach Tony Gilbert], they're able to reach the players. But when you have another player that understands and cares about his teammates enough to, on his downtime, be here and any questions they have that they might not be able to get to one of us, they are able to get to him. That just shows the type of leader he is now. I'd like to see him gone and getting away and getting refreshed, but he's here and we love seeing him around."
Kevin Austin continues strong offseason
A young wide receiver with all of the physical traits in the world, second-year wide receiver and former Notre Dame standout Kevin Austin Jr. has been one of the standouts of the Jaguars' offseason. Nobody is claiming that he is going to push for a role on the offense, but the improvement in his game compared to last season is tremendous and noticeable from the second a pass is thrown his way during team drills.
Austin has made several standout grabs during the offseason and has become an intriguing piece of the Jaguars' wide receiver depth chart entering training camp. How he performs in camp when pads come on will be telling, but Austin has taken advantage of his opportunities in a big way this offseason, at least from our perspective.
Devin Lloyd continues an important stretch
Anybody who has seen Devin Lloyd during the Jaguars' offseason practices can testify to the second-year linebackers confidence, with Lloyd appearing significantly more comfortable in practices after being thrown into the fire shortly before the 2022 season due to a hamstring injury that forced him to miss training camp. After missing most of the prep time before his rookie season, Lloyd has continued an important stretch before he enters a critical year.
Lloyd is one of the Jaguars' most talented defenders, with the 2022 No. 27 overall pick recording 115 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and eight pass deflections as a rookie. He was one of the NFL's most productive linebackers during the first quarter of the season before rookie lulls impacted his season. With Lloyd getting even more mental reps during this week and his continued display of confidence on the practice field, the Jaguars have to be happy with where Lloyd is.
"You look at him, he's been here when the other vets were let go and he's really, I wouldn't say taking his game to another level, but you can see the increase," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said on Tuesday.
"He's playing faster out there than he was when the vets were here and he's just a guy that he's seen it before. It's starting to slow down for him. He's anticipating and he's playing real well for us right now."
