Jaguars Training Camp: The Good, The Bad and The Great After Day 4
![Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) and running back Tank Bigsby (4) walk together during the fourth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Saturday, July 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) and running back Tank Bigsby (4) walk together during the fourth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Saturday, July 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/jaguar_report/01j3x8z9vzq55qayr4t7.jpg)
The Jacksonville Jaguars have their first off day of training camp today, giving us the perfect chance to look at how the last four days have stacked up and what we have learned so far.
After breaking down the good, the bad, and the great of the first two days of Jaguars training camp, we return with some fresh perspectives after practice No. 4.
The Good
Ronald Darby: The Jaguars had a big hole at cornerback entering free agency after Darious Williams was released. The Jaguars' first option to replace Williams was signing Darby to a two-year contract in March. And after the Jaguars waited until the third round to select a cornerback, the chances of Darby becoming the short-term solution across from Tyson Campbell increased exponentially.
This hasn't changed through the first week of camp, either, with Darby being the only top-three cornerback to not be sidelined at any point. WIth Campbell and Jarrian Jones dealing with ankle injuries, Darby has proven to be a sticky coverage corner in his own right and the Jaguars' defense has practiced at a high level with him leading the cornerback room. He is a big reason Brian Thomas Jr. had a quiet first week.
Brenton Strange and Tank Bigsby: These are two players whose physical playing style and athletic traits translate better to padded practices than practices on air, but it is fair to say each player had a solid first week of training camp. Strange caught nearly everything thrown his way in team drills, including a pair of red-zone touchdowns. He hasn't made many big plays, but the offense has had very few of those. He has looked consistent and sharper than a year ago.
As for Bigsby, he has flashed more consistent hands in camp than he did in the handful of public OTA practices this offseason. He has also broken off several long runs in each of the past two practices, a stark contrast from how the first two days went for the running back room. Like Strange, he looks like a player with a higher floor than a year ago.
The Bad
Early injuries: There have been no serious injuries at Jaguars camp so far, but there have been a few players who have missed reps in team drills. Namely, Tyson Campbell and Jarrian Jones are both dealing with ankle injuries that, while not appearing to be serious, did happen close enough to the start of camp to make the first week a bit incomplete for both.
Passing game: The Jaguars' passing game is struggling in practice, a simple fact that can't be argued or debated. How much this actually matters is up to be debated, but nothing has looked easy for the Jaguars' offense against Ryan Nielsen's defense. Most of the Jaguars' completions have been short passes, the quarterbacks have held onto the ball too long, wideouts have failed to both get open and provide consistent hands, and there has been plenty of pressure on the quarterback. That sounds like a lot, but that is genuinely what we have seen so far.
The Great
Devin Duvernay: The veteran wide receiver should be an upgrade over Jamal Agnew as the Jaguars' No. 4 receiver. He has been maybe the brightest spot on either of the offenses in the first four days in terms of efficiency. He has shown good hands in and out of the red zone and his speed has shown up as well. He should be a nice addition to the passing game once it gets into its groove.