Jaguars Rookie Minicamp, Day 1: 5 Observations on Anton Harrison and Rookie Class
Football is back ... sort of.
The Jacksonville Jaguars' coaches, rookies, and a select few veteran players hit the practice field on Friday for the first day of rookie minicamp. For nearly 40 players, Friday was a key step forward in the Jaguars' evaluation process.
"Obviously for us really as coaches to put our eyes on 'em for meaningful purposes, to obviously install some offense, defense special teams, see what they know, take it to the classroom," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said before practice when asked why these practices are critical.
"And then just be able to watch 'em just move around and kind of begin the process of how are they going to fit with our team and current team and just get a good feel for these guys these next couple days."
So, what all did we see at TIAA Bank Field on Friday? We break it down below.
Anton Harrison spends his first practice at RT
To end any lingering questions on where Anton Harrison will slot as a rookie, the No. 27 overall pick stayed at right tackle for the entirety of Friday's practice. Pederson said the day after the draft that Harrison would start his development there, but it is particularly noteworthy that he was at right tackle instead of left tackle during Friday's practice because that meant undrafted tryout tackle Jazston Turnetine took the reps at left tackle.
Clearly, the Jaguars are more invested in getting Harrison up to speed at right tackle than they are in having the best possible left tackle on the practice field. They are right, too, considering these are padless practices. Harrison is the favorite to be the Jaguars starting right tackle in Week 1 by a mile, and even earned some words of encouragement from Pederson as he left the practice field on Friday.
"I think it goes back to really to the fall when our scouts and [Director of College Scouting] Mike Davis and the College Scouts are on the road. They go into Oklahoma, they really like the athlete. He's got really quick feet and he's a very efficient pass protector," Jaguars assistant general manager Ethan Waugh said about Harrison on Friday.
"I think his pressures allowed rate is extremely low. And then mentally he's been great. At some point when one of our scouts was in there, about middle of the season, he'd made one mental error for the season. So he's a reliable guy. He's going to be where he needs to be and a really efficient player."
Yasir Abdullah makes a strong first impression
It was hard not to be impressed by fifth-round edge rusher Yasir Abdullah. The rookie pass-rusher simply looked the part athletically, displaying an explosive get-off, fluid hips, and quick feet through drills. In terms of pure athleticism, there may not have been a bigger standout on Friday.
Abdullah also looked noticeably bigger than his listed 242 pounds, showing good bulk throughout his frame. In the padless practice, Abdullah looked like a player who has all of the traits you want in a pass-rusher outside of height. He also spent the entirety of practice with the outside linebackers after splitting time in college as a pass-rusher and off-ball linebacker, showing that his true position in Jacksonville will be as an edge rusher.
"I don't know if I'd say small, I'd say short. So he is short but long-armed. He's kind of a wide frame guy and when you see him -- just watching him check in yesterday, he does have some thickness to him, some power to him," Waugh said on Friday about Abdullah.
"He is a little bit different though than the Travon's and the Josh Allen's of the world, just in terms of overall size. He's very, very fast. Timed speed is excellent. Get off is excellent, very instinctive. And he's a unique guy in the sense that I believe he has 25 sacks for his career and 25 special teams tackles for his career. So you're not going to see that very often, especially 3-4 outside linebackers usually aren't in a role on special teams, but he has that chance."
Brenton Strange, Kevin Austin and Elijah Cooks have productive sessions
It is hard for many players to stand out in rookie minicamp because the practice is a helmets and shorts type of ordeal; with that said, three young pass-catchers each had impressive showings.
Second-round tight end Brenton Strange snagged every pass that went his way on Friday, showing strong hands as an intermediate target. He plucked several balls in traffic on Friday, keeping his concentration and coming up for the quarterback each time. As an athlete, he clearly has some juice to him. He was one of the most explosive players on the field on either side of the ball and looked smooth in and out of his breaks.
Another player with a good day was second-year wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. Austin struggled at times last offseason and training camp with drops during practices, but he made several impressive grabs on Friday, including one in traffic over the middle of the field and one that was the best play of the practice ... but more on that later.
Cooks was the best undrafted rookie on the field. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver moved through drills effortlessly for a big receiver and then came up with a few nice grabs during team periods. He was one of the best overall athletes on the field, which says something considering he is the biggest receiver on the entire roster.
Sorting out the Jaguars' young secondary
The Jaguars have several rookies who are looking to become fixtures in the long-term future of the secondary, which means Friday was invaluable in terms of seeing how they will be deployed early on. The Jaguars drafted three defensive backs in fifth-rounder Antonio Johnson and sixth-rounders Christian Braswell and Erick Hallett II, and Friday gave us a good look at where each will play.
Johnson spent the entirety of team drills working as a safety, which should dispel any notion that he will push for a starting spot as the slot cornerback. Johnson's skill set translates best to strong safety, and that is where he spent Friday. As for Braswell, he saw considerable time inside at nickel, while Hallett was listed as a cornerback and spent all of his time at corner after playing safety in college.
Plays of the day
The best play of the day came from Kevin Austin, with the former Notre Dame product showing off the big-play ability he was known for in college. Former CFL quarterback Nathan Rourke connected with Austin on a touchdown toward the end of practice, with Austin beating Antonio Johnson for the ball in the air, keeping both feet in bounds, and then finishing with a score. It was the best player Austin has made as a Jaguar and was a great end to his strong practice.
As for defensively, the top play came from undrafted rookie cornerback Divaad Wilson. Wilson, who also had a strong showing during the minicamp. Wilson showed good quickness and instincts to fly forward and deflect a N'Kosi Perry pass, with the ball landing in undrafted Virginia Tech linebacker Dax Hollifield's hands for an interception.
