5 Jaguars to Watch Ahead of OTA No. 7
Organized team activities are winding down for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Soon, mandatory minicamp will be kicking off and the Jaguars will be in another key stage of the offseason.
But first comes Monday. On Monday, the Jaguars will once again hit the practice field in hopes of sharpening their skills and taking plays from the classroom to the field under new head coach Doug Pederson.
So, which Jaguars are worth keeping a close eye on during Monday's practice and why? We break it all down below.
S Andre Cisco
The time of waiting for Andre Cisco to get his chance appears to be over. The former third-round pick got 100% of the first-team reps at safety at last week's OTA practice, with Pederson himself naming Cisco alongside Rayshawn Jenkins when he was summarizing the key pieces of the secondary. Cisco has all of the appearances of an impact player in Jacksonville's secondary.
“He’s really done a nice job this offseason coming in there. He’s a great communicator, just watching him with the defense and how he moves and how he fits," Pederson said. "Again, it’s going to be really good for him once we do get the pads on and see his physicality and how he can play. He’s a really good football player for us and I’m excited to watch him during training camp.”
The No. 65 overall pick out of Syracuse last year, Cisco started only three games and played 242 defensive snaps (22%) as a rookie as Andrew Wingard got the starting nod at safety. Cisco thrived in his limited appearances, forcing two fumbles and nearly recording an interception against the New York Jets while collecting 26 tackles and missing just two. Monday will be another chance for him to cement his role as a starter.
OT Walker Little
It is anybody's guess who starts at right tackle for the Jaguars this year. Jawaan Taylor may have the early hand up on 2021 second-rounder Walker Little considering he was the first one to get reps at right tackle last week (Little was at left tackle with Cam Robinson not at practice). Little eventually did slide over to right tackle, moving Taylor to the left tackle spot, creating an interesting dynamic moving forward.
Nobody is going to win the right tackle job during OTAs. Pads aren't even on and offensive linemen clearly can't play to their full level of intensity and physicality. But it does still make it interesting to examine how the Jaguars shuffle Little and Taylor in practice and what it could mean moving forward.
WR Laviska Shenault
If one was to make a wide receiver depth chart for the Jaguars today, 2020 second-round pick Laviska Shenault likely wouldn't be found with the rest of the starters on offense. Shenault has been a Day 1 starter in each of the past two seasons, but the former Colorado star has a number of players in front of him in Marvin Jones, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, leaving Shenault as the No. 4 receiver and a second-team option.
But can Shenault make enough of an impression in OTAs to change that? He had a great day of practice last Tuesday, bringing in the catch of the day and showing off solid hands throughout practice. He is also getting a look at the returner position, giving him a chance to make a special teams impact and add to his value. Shenault is likely underrated at this point, but continuing a strong offseason could earn him more chances.
RB Ryquell Armstead
It is hard for running backs to make an impact in OTAs because everything is on air; any carries from under center or shotgun has a strange timing and overall feel to them because of the lack of pads. Still, it is worth tracking fourth-year running back Ryquell Armstead considering the Jaguars still don't have James Robinson on the practice field and don't have any other established veterans at the position.
Armstead got a decent amount of run with the Jaguars' starting offense last week, seemingly behind Travis Etienne on the depth chart but ahead of rookie running back Snoop Conner. While Conner will likely win the No. 3 running back role before the start of the season, it is still noteworthy that Armstead has earned some trust from the coaching staff, giving him a chance to carve out a spot on the roster.
CB Gregory Junior
Sixth-round rookie cornerback Gregory Junior had highs and lows during last week's practice. He nearly picked off Jake Luton for a pick-six, but also allowed the aforementioned catch to Shenault. The Ouachita Baptist product clearly has a chance to earn a spot on the depth chart, though, running with the second defense and showing off solid movement skills.
Just how high Junior can climb on the depth chart is limited because the Jaguars clearly have Tyson Campbell, Shaquill Griffin and Darious Williams in the first three spots. But the Jaguars still have a number of options to sort out at their depth spots, and Junior looks like he has a legitimate chance to earn a spot.
