JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Minicamp is in the books and the Jaguars will head into a break for summer. The News4JAX sports staff answers some questions about where Jacksonville is as it enters a pivotal 2024 season.
What was your biggest single takeaway from OTAs and minicamp?
Recommended Videos
JS: The team is bigger, stronger, faster and more confident than they were a year ago. Albert Breer called out the Jags in a recent article on SI saying he thought the Jags were one of the least improved teams in the NFL this offseason and I couldn’t think that is farther from reality.
The Jags wrapped up the year and said they wanted to get more physical. They added two huge defensive linemen (Arik Armstead and Maason Smith) plus a guy who led the Combine in bench press reps (Jordan Jefferson). Then, they added a pair of big receivers (Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr.). That is just naming a few of the changes. The more confident part comes from adding players who have been there and done that in the NFL. The Jags are still a young team and have only had glimpses of success. Adding players with playoff history who have seen how to win in the league will pay dividends in December. Long story short my Jags takeaway is the team is in a better place than it was just a year ago.
JB: The Jaguars wanted to get bigger and more physical. General manager Trent Baalke said that after last season and said it again during the lead up to the draft. That was a point of emphasis, and I thought the biggest emphasis of the offseason. They did that. You can look at the position drills and see the added size and physicality. We won’t know how that really looks until camp begins, but the Jaguars wanted to get bigger and stronger and they certainly have.
AP: My biggest takeaway is that the Jaguars seem to have done what they said they were going to do: give Trevor support. Brian Thomas Jr. seems to be a great fit to the receivers room. He’s shined through OTAs and minicamp, but he’s not the only one. Gabe Davis seems like he will be a great fit for the Jaguars.
Do you feel more confident about the Jaguars at this point than you did last year?
JS: I like what they have done. I still have a few questions about the team structure as a whole, mostly the O-line but I think the Jags are in a better spot than they were a year ago. After last season, they won’t get the Super Bowl love or be a national media darling going into the season but that doesn’t matter. Look at it on paper. Look at it on the field. Look how the pieces to the puzzle fit together. There is no way around it that this team has made some serious improvements at key spots.
JB: Perhaps cautiously confident. I strongly believe Jacksonville was its own worst enemy last season. Optimistically, the Jaguars won’t have the abundance of injury issues that they had last year. And optimistically, they will see improvement from its younger players. So, by those metrics, I think Jacksonville is a 10-win team.
AP: On paper, I’m more confident that the Jaguars will improve on their 9-8 seasons. From what we’ve seen through OTAs and minicamp, I think there is more of a confidence with the team, but I don’t think you can really know if the team has improved until the players are in pads.
What area are you concerned about entering training camp?
JS: I don’t want to echo O-line for a third time so I’ll go a different way. The secondary is a spot that worries me. Part of the switch in defensive philosophy is this year the Jags will be playing more man coverage than they have in the past few seasons. That puts some real stress on the secondary to play well. Tyson Campbell is a lock to start and should be good in this defense but he hasn’t been asked to do this as much in his NFL career. Plus, who starts opposite of him? is it Ronald Darby or rookie Jarrian Jones? There are some unanswered questions that give me some concern. Ultimately, I think the secondary will be fine but that is 100% a projection until we see it.
JB: I’m still not convinced that the offensive line is that much better than it was either of the last two years. It was a little less than league average during the playoff run in 2022 and well below that mark last year. They added Javon Foster through the draft and Mitch Morse in free agency. Jacksonville is betting on improved health from Brandon Scherff and Ezra Cleveland and natural progression from Anton Harrison to help bolster that line. I’m just not convinced they did enough to
AP: The biggest area of concern last year was the offensive line, which created a ripple effect through the offense last season. I’m not convinced the offensive line has improved so much to be completely different entering training camp.
Who is one under-the-radar player you think will make the roster?
JB: Defensive lineman Jeremiah Ledbetter. He played in all 17 games last year and had 22 tackles, both career highs. Even with the additions of Armstead and drafting Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson on the line, I like Ledbetter to make the roster again and be a quality rotational player.
AP: Receiver Parker Washington made the roster last year, but we’ve seen him take the next step this offseason. Even Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Washington is more confident. He many not be completely under-the-radar, but I think he will have more of a presence this season.
JS: Offensive lineman Steven Jones. It is hard to get a read on O-line players during the offseason since there are no pads, but Jags O-line coach Phil Rauscher said he thinks Jones is going to be a good pro. There is space for him to sneak onto the roster on the interior of the O-line since it doesn’t have the most depth. Outside of just the numbers game, I love Jones’ nickname. His nickname is Big Grizz or Grizzly Bear. An O-line guy with a nickname like that has got to maul folks. The Jags could use some maulers on that line. Mark me in for Jones sneaking onto the 53.
Best offseason addition?
JS: How about some defensive love? Darnell Savage. Adding Savage opens up so many doors for the Jags defense to be creative and disrupt offenses. Savage is going to be a chess piece for the Jaguars this season. Don’t expect him to be just a safety He will be all over the field. I’d give a close second to Arik Armstead. Adding a player with his sort of talent should never go under the radar. Look for Armstead to get some reps at edge on early downs as well if Josh Allen or Travon Walker need a breather. He is a guy that will add a serious infusion of talent to the Jaguars line.
AP: Brian Thomas Jr. He’s the team’s first-round draft pick so he should be a star this season.
JB: The obvious answer would be Arik Armstead because he’s a big name and a proven disruptor. But he’s been limited in return from offseason knee surgery. So I’ll lean towards Mitch Morse at center because of what his addition could mean for Trevor Lawrence’s health and the overall health of the offense. He’s a significant upgrade over Luke Fortner and helps fortify the team’s most uneven unit.
Who starts in the Jags secondary?
JS: I have given this one some serious thought. Justin and I see this pretty similarly. I think Tyson Campbell is locked in on one side. Andre Cisco is locked in at one safety spot. The question is how the rest plays out. We know Darnell Savage will be on the field. I think he will be the team’s primary nickel. That lets you put Antonio Johnson into the starting lineup. That is easy but that other corner spot comes down to Ronald Darby or Jarrian Jones. From what I have seen so far I think it is going to be hard for them to keep Jones off the field. So, I lean toward Jones being a Day 1 starter for the Jags. Darby is solid but his contract is rich enough that they will feel forced to play him.
AP: Andre Cisco, Tyson Campbell, Darnell Savage, Antonio Johnson and Jarrian Jones.
JB: Tyson Campbell and Jarrian Jones on the outside. Darnell Savage in the slot. Andre Cisco and Antonio Johnson at safety.
Will rookie Brian Thomas Jr. have over or under 800 yards next season?
JS: I’m taking the under. This is the safe play. BTJ is third in the pecking order at receiver and probably the fourth option on the offense if you include Evan Engram. I think 800 is a realistic line but I’d expect him to be somewhere around 600 or 700 yards with four or five touchdowns. That is a solid season for a rookie. The Jags offense just has a handful of mouths to feed. Christian Kirk should be back in the 1K club. Gabe Davis is going to probably be around Zay Jones-type numbers in the 800′s. Engram will be in the neighborhood as well. At that point, Lawrence is knocking on the door of nearly 3,200 yards with just those players. Then, you have to sprinkle in the yards for the other players that will chip in along the way.
JB: I’m going to say 750 for BTJ, which would rank second in franchise history for a rookie receiver. Justin Blackmon’s 865 yards in 2012 are the most by a rookie. At 748 yards, Keelan Cole ranks second. Rookie receivers have historically fared poorly for Jacksonville.
AP: This is a difficult one. I think just over 800 yards next season. He’s really fast so if he can beat opposing defenses and Trevor Lawrence can throw down field, BTJ could be an explosive weapon for the Jaguars amassing a lot of yards. But he’s also a rookie who will have difficulties when he actually plays in his first few NFL games that will cause problems so I would say around 800 yards.