What are the most important lessons learned from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offseason training program now that OTAs and minicamp have concluded?
The next time the Jacksonville Jaguars practice is at the end of July. All we have to go on until then is the offseason fitness regimen to provide a true assessment of the 2024 Jaguars roster.
The Jaguars held a ton of offseason practices to get their team ready for July, ranging from rookie minicamp to organized team activities to requirements for minicamp. What, though, did we learn most from the off-season exercise regimen? Below, we dissect it.
Doug Pederson, Press Taylor still in lockstep
Before Week 1, the most important question facing the Jaguars is this: who is calling the plays? The offseason program hasn’t done anything to shed light on the solution thus far.
Although play-calling coordinator Press Taylor was hired primarily for his play-calling skills, there is also the argument that Taylor called some games in 2022 before going full-time in 2023.
Pederson and Taylor still appear to be moving in perfect unison at this point. Throughout team exercises, they remain near to one another, and it’s obvious that their fingerprints are all over the plan.
Given how closely the two have always collaborated, one may even wonder if it really matters if Taylor or Pederson calls plays. It didn’t exactly look that way for anyone hoping the offseason was a hint that Pederson was taking over for Taylor.
Cornerback will be a tough position to make
Even with third-round CB Jarrian Jones’ highlight-reel production, the Jaguars should still be concerned about the depth of their cornerback group going into training camp.
Having said that, it seems like a lot of young cornerbacks are vying for the cornerback spots after the top three (Jones, Tyson Campbell, and Ronald Darby).
It is difficult to choose a favorite among Deantre Prince, Gregory Junior, Christian Braswell, Tre Flowers, and Montaric Brown as they will all compete for slots on the Jaguars’ depth chart.
Prince may be safe because he is a rookie draft pick with a high ceiling on special teams, but there is a lot of competition among the others for what may be as few as two spots. Today, most people who feel comfortable projecting this group really shouldn’t.
2023 draft class still has a ways to go
In large part because right tackle Anton Harrison was the only one of the Jaguars’ 13 draft selections to start every week during their rookie campaign, the 2023 class was heavily criticized.
The two rookies selected by the Jaguars in the second and third rounds of the draft, tight end Brenton Strange in the second round and running back Tank Bigsby in the third, received the most flak for not seeing enough action.
There is still some trajectory to be found during the 2024 offseason training regimen. For players selected on the third round, such as Christian Braswell, Cooper Hodges, Tyler Lacy, Parker Washington, and Ventrell Miller, the future seems bright. Antonio Johnson, a fifth-round safety pick, might start alongside Harrison in 2024.
However, it didn’t seem like the offseason was particularly exciting for Strange or Bigsby. Merely predicated on evaluations from unpadded practices, they probably lag below the six Day 3 selections we already highlighted.
Bigsby did not have the exceptional offseason program he had the previous year and had some declines during the summer. Strange hasn’t done anything bad, but up until now, it has also been difficult for him to stand out in a packed tight end area.
Jaguars fulfilled their pledge of becoming bigger, stronger, faster
During his news conference at the end of the season, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke expressed his desire for the team to grow in size, speed, strength, and physicality.
The extent to which the Jaguars are more physically strong than the squad that was eliminated at the end of the 2023 campaign is yet unknown. Until the pads turn on, we won’t know the answer to that.
The remaining components of the equation can now be established and examined. From what we observed, the Jaguars fulfilled every requirement.
The Jaguars are undoubtedly a stronger club now that Arik Armstead, Gabe Davis, Brian Thomas Jr., and Mitch Morse are on board.
Devin Lloyd, Tyler Lacy, and other offseason changes, along with the addition of three additional trench guys in the draft in Maason Smith, Javon Foster, and Jordan Jefferson, may hold the secret to the team being more physical.
Regarding the speedier element, there’s no denying that players like Myles Cole, a seventh-round pick, Ronald Darby, Darnell Savage, Jarrian Jones, Keilan Robinson, Deantre Prince, and even Thomas shouldn’t be added. The Jaguars appear to be a more athletic club both on paper and in practice, yet it is unclear if the team has really improved from the previous season.
Winners of the offseason
Linebacker Devin Lloyd and wide receiver Parker Washington have to be the two winners of the offseason on both side of the ball.
Each of these recent draft picks at important positions came into the offseason under genuine pressure to succeed, and they all excelled in the program. Despite not being among the top four wide receivers on the depth chart going into the summer, Washington has performed well enough so far to not feel like an outsider.
He has lined up both inside and outside and has shown far more explosive and dynamic than he did in rookie season sessions, when he struggled with injuries at various stages.
Lloyd appeared to have gained a significant amount of muscle bulk. This summer, the 2022 draftee light linebacker appeared to be a physically intimidating inside linebacker—something that may not have always been the case. Lloyd also seemed and sounded a lot more combative and self-assured, which might be the secret to his breakout season.
