Observations and Notes From the Jaguars' First Training Camp Practice in Pads

With the players wearing pads for the first time on Monday, who stood out the most and who struggled during the intense practice?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The first training camp practice in pads has come and gone for the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Monday bringing the return of the sounds of crashing shoulder pads and fierce competition.

While only so much can be gleaned from how players look on the first padded practice, we were still live from TIAA Bank Field to monitor which players stood out, who struggled and what could be facing the team ahead. 

So, what did we see during Monday's practice? 

Defensive line vs. offensive line drills had a few notable points

The number one thing most people look forward to when the pads come on for the first time is the matchup between the defensive and offensive lines. While these players have gone against each other all training camp, Monday was the first time they were really able to simulate what true play in the trenches is. So, who stood out in these drills? A few different players come to mind, though it needs to be considered that defensive players are typically at an advantage to begin with during these drills.

• Taven Bryan didn't dominate but he got a good push from the interior. He had one good rep vs. left guard Andrew Norwell in which he didn't shed the block but he put Norwell on skates, which would push the pocket and force the quarterback on the move in a real game. 
• Josh Allen is clearly the best the Jaguars have to offer as a pass-rusher, especially when players like Yannick Ngakoue and K'Lavon Chaisson aren't on the practice field. Allen had some solid reps vs. Jawaan Taylor in one-on-ones, and he flashed a terrific spin counter vs. Will Richardson while rushing from the left side. 
• As for Taylor, he had his own share of wins against Allen and other Jaguars defenders. His footwork looked smooth, though he will need to continue to pay attention to his hands and how he grabs. 
• Rookie offensive lineman Ben Bartch flashed in a big way. He dominated Timmy Jernigan on one rep (though context is needed since it was Jernigan's first practice), and he had several other reps that could be considered wins. With the narrative on Bartch being that he is raw, it was a bit surprising to see him perform as well as he did Monday. 
• Cam Robinson and Dawuane Smoot had some good battles and draws against each other. Each are power players with a little bit of quickness, so it was a good matchup for each player. 

The offense is clearly in its beginning stages and is working out the kinks, but that should be expected

Last week, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said the offense was essentially still "in diapers" due to the fact the implementation of the scheme was in its infancy stage. During Monday's practice, it was clear at times to see just what Gruden was talking about, especially during the early portions of practice where the units just didn't look very sharp in terms of execution.

With that said, the offense improved over the course of the practice and produced a few big plays in team drills. The sluggish at times start to the day just shows the Jaguars are still transitioning to a new scheme under Gruden, and that transition should be expected to take some time. It isn't surprising to see the Jaguars still working through the scheme -- in fact, it would be surprising if they had actually been able to get the entire offense down by this point. 

Leonard Fournette impresses as runner and pass-catcher

Leonard Fournette had, in my eyes, his best practice of all of the practices media has been able to view this training camp. He has looked in good shape and quick all camp, but he made a few big plays throughout Monday's practice that showed how dangerous he can be when he is at the top of his game. 

Firstly, Fournette had one long and exciting run around the left sideline in team drills in which he hit the hole with terrific explosion and then found his way through traffic and into the secondary. It is hard to say if Fournette would have been caught before a touchdown in a real game, but he turned on the jets on Monday and made a big gain. Secondly, Fournette was on the receiving end of a terrific throw from Gardner Minshew in a tight window over the middle of the field near where the first down marker would be. Once Fournette caught the ball, he turned it upfield and found plenty of space, turning the short catch into a big gain.

Cassius Marsh makes an impact 

With Jacksonville having no true edge presence outside of Josh Allen until Chaisson and Ngakoue are on the field, it likely made the Jaguars happy to see free agent addition Cassius Marsh have a good day of practice once the pads came on. Marsh is maybe the closest thing the Jaguars have to a true pass-rushing edge player across from Allen with Chaisson and Ngakoue gone, and it showed on Monday.

As a pass rusher, Marsh was solid in one-on-ones but he also got a few different pressures from the edge in team drills. His first step and bend around the edge were especially notable. Against the run, Marsh didn't always hold up at the point of attack but he had splash plays, including a tackle for loss on an outside run.

Timmy Jernigan practices with Jaguars for first time

After Bruce Miller practiced with the Jaguars for the first time on Sunday, defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan did the same on Monday. It was Jernigan's first NFL practice this training camp since he had not been on a team until this point and considering it was also the first day in pads, it should be expected that Jernigan will need a few days to get into a groove. 

With that said, Jernigan looks the part from a size perspective. Jacksonville needs run-stuffers up front after losing Al Woods and Rodney Gunter for the season, and Jernigan certainly looks like he is capable of playing a few different positions along the defensive front based on his physical traits alone. 

Notes:

• DJ Chark had the big play of the day again, catching a deep pass in stride from Minshew while being covered by Tre Herndon. 
• Chris Claybrooks' speed is obvious in every single drill he does. Who knows how much playing time he gets, but he runs at a different speed than everyone else. 
• Cam Robinson had a few great run blocks during team drills, including a pancake on a run to the left. 
• Keelan Cole made a terrific catch over the middle of the field with D.J. Hayden in his face. It was a bit of a high throw from Minshew, but Cole elevated and showed really strong hands in bringing the ball down. He had a strong practice overall. 
• Josh Dobbs made a few impressive deep throws during seven-on-seven drills. He is in competition with Mike Glennon for the No. 2 quarterback job, but it is hard to say who has the leg up as it stands today. 
• Three players remain on Jacksonville's Reserve/COVID-19 list in running back Ryquell Armstead and offensive linemen Ryan Pope and Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms.