JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The young guy and the old men are leading the way in the Jacksonville Jaguars safeties room. Rookie Antonio Johnson has had a stellar first training camp. While veterans like Rayshawn Jenkins, Andre Cisco and Andrew Wingard are staying atop the depth chart.
“I like the way they came out and worked.” Jaguars safeties coach Cody Grimm said. “Obviously we have a good group of guys. We have a few veterans. We have two starters back from last year but bringing in Antonio in the mix and really pushing the guys. I love the competition and the way they’re practicing.”
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Thursday will be the final practice of the week for the Jaguars before the team travels to the Dallas Cowboys for their first preseason game. Grimm said he does not have too many concerns about his safeties for Saturday’s game.
“I really like our group,” Grimm said. “We just need to come out and execute. I want to see the guys compete and make sure they go through their checks and their eyes are in the right spot. That’s really what we’re looking for. Try to eliminate the big plays and make sure we run the defense on the backend.
“As far as the call sheet we’re just going to keep it simple. We want to see the guys be able to play and execute and that’s what we’re looking for. See who can win our one-on-ones and go out there so they don’t have to think too much and let them play fast.”
Jenkins is starting his eighth year in the league. Last season he started in all 17 games totaling 116 tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and one sack. Cisco has three years of experience. In 15 games, Cisco combined for 73 tackles, three interceptions and one sack.
“Jenk plays hard. He plays the right way,” Grimm said. “Cisco’s really come a long way mentally. He is doing some stuff this year. Fitting in the run, getting in the box so he’s done a great job really rounding out his game. Then just another year in the system. Them growing together has helped a lot. They’re great with the checks. They know where we’re vulnerable in certain coverages. They do a good job of getting us out of a bad call and making sure everyone is in the right spot.”
The Jaguars selected Johnson in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
“He’s got a lot of versatility,” Grimm said. “I mean obviously he’s about 6-3. He’s got loose hips. He’s good in man-to-man coverage. He’s going to be able to do some things for us and help us out in certain matchups.”
Andrew “Dewey” Wingard has become a vocal leader in the locker room, a six-year veteran who was with the team during the rough times and stuck around the team while climbing the rankings and depth chart.
“We have something called ‘Jaguars DNA’ and Dewey’s the type of guy you want,” Grimm said. “He’s hard working, he does the right job, he practices the right way, he’s always working, he never complains, always trying to get better. He’s an awesome player.”