Jaguars Notebook: Observations as Walker, Rest of Rookie Class Take the Field
In a few short months, Travon Walker and the rest of the Jacksonville Jaguars' draft class will make their home debuts in front of thousands of die-hard fans.
But for now, the rookies will get their feet wet on a much smaller scale, in front of zero fans and only their fellow rookies inside TIAA Bank Field.
The Jaguars kicked off their rookie minicamp on Friday, with Walker, six other draft picks and a host of undrafted free agents, veterans, and try-out players took the field.
“Obviously, we want to get out healthy, no injuries. We make a point of emphasis of that. We’re trying to really also see what these guys can do," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said ahead of practice.
"We want to challenge them in the classroom and then obviously take it to the practice field and let them really kind of showcase their talent and let them play fast, protect each other out there, just learn how we do things here. [Those] are all things I’m looking for these next few days.”
So, what did we see on Friday as the Jaguars spent their first day on the practice field with the rookies? From Walker to the free agent pick ups, we take a look at it all below.
Travon Walker spends practice tied to Bill Shuey's hip
There shouldn't have been any questions about what position Travon Walker would start his career at after the Jaguars called him an outside linebacker right out the gate. They stayed true to their word, with Walker spending his entire first practice with the Jaguars as an outside linebacker, working on his get-off from a two-point stance, block-shedding and zone drops.
Walker spent his entire first practice glued to the hip of outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey, often working one-on-one with his new position coach. For those who wondered if Walker would start his career as an interior player, it is clear the question has been answered. He is an edge rusher and will stand up in defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell's 3-4 scheme.
As for how Walker looked, it is important to remember everyone was in shorts and helmets and the most punishment he dealt was toward a blocking shed as a result. Still, Walker's otherworldly athleticism and rare frame and length were on clear display. Walker looks the part physically and checks really every box you can imagine there, and he looked smooth and fluid in every drill he took part in. It is early, but he looked like the player he was sold as.
Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma take vocal roles
Again, this practice was just helmets and shorts, so there isn't a ton to take away from it in terms of physicality and going full-speed. With that said, it was a good chance to get a close look at Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma sharing the field together for the first time. There have been lots of questions of how the two will fit on the field together alongside free agent addition Foyesade Oluokun, but the two worked together seamlessly on Friday.
“It was great. Having Devin and I out there and be able to really communicate and really communicate with each other and really push each other, that’s kind of something that we talked about going into today," Muma said after practice. "From here on out it’s just to push each other every single day to really get ourselves better and always [have] that communication aspect where we’re making both the calls and we’re having that leadership on both sides of the defense. I think that was huge today also.”
Lloyd and Muma were both vocal parts of Friday's practice, frequently helping the defense set up and communicating to the rest of the unit. Their athleticism stood out both on defense and special teams, but it was the way the two worked off each other in a small sample that impressed on Friday.
Which veteran receiver is stepping up as a mentor
One of the coolest things to see from any player on Friday was when veteran wide receiver Josh Hammond. After the Jaguars would go through wide receiver drills with a number of undrafted free agents at the position, Hammond would take a receiver under his wing to the side to give points and talk about the drill. Hammond gave tips to rookie Lujuan Winningham after one drill that clearly resonated with the first-year wideout,
Hammond is entering his third season after signing with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has been around the block and knows what it takes to stick around in the NFL as a fringe roster member at the receiver spot. To see him take a mentor role on Friday was a great reflection for the kind of teammate he is and why he continues to stick around in Jacksonville.
Tryout players of note
Each year, there are tryout players to take note of entering the offseason. Laquon Treadwell was a tryout player for the Jaguars in last June's minicamp, eventually earning a spot on the 90-man roster and an invitation to training camp and then making plays during the regular-season. Which tryout players were worth noting this go around?
- Former Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Marvin Hall is trying out with the Jaguars, with the former Washington Huskies wideout standing out due to his speed and NFL production. He reportedly ran a 4.28 at his pro day in 2016 and has caught 37 passes for 772 yards and five touchdowns in his career, along with making an impact as a return man. His speed was clear on Friday, especially when paired with the rest of the receiver room.
- Former Pittsburgh Steelers second-round safety Sean Davis is also trying out. The former Maryland product and No. 58 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft stood out during team drills when he picked off rookie quarterback EJ Perry over the middle of the field.
- Running back Trey Smith is another tryout player with the Jaguars who will have a chance to make an impression and earn a roster spot. The former Wyoming running back is the son of Jaguars legend Jimmy Smith, with head coach Doug Pederson noting the impact of their relationship on Friday. "It is a little bit and obviously something that I’ve sort of adopted philosophically or whatever is former players or even staff members, coaches, I have a son that’s obviously an NFL player, and just the respect factor of that," Pederson said. "Obviously Jimmy was a tremendous athlete and player and played here and his son’s a talented player as well, so it was a good fit obviously to do that and extend that to him and really to see him now in our system and see what he can do.”
Kevin Austin makes a highlight play down the stretch
The most popular undrafted name at Jaguars minicamp is former Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin. Austin had a bit of a rough start to practice, dropping a pass in an early drill, but he bounced back in a big way toward the end of practice that showed why the Jaguars made it a priority to add him after they didn't draft a wideout.
With Austin heading up the seam of the field, Perry put a pass through a window and in front of Austin and forced Austin to fully extend while on the move. Austin did just that, showing great ball skills and catch radius while also having the balance to keep his feet before and after the catch, making one of the best plays of the entire practice.
“He was always a guy, a talented player obviously as receiver, and [we’re] just excited really to have gotten him in here and to really go to work with him," Pederson said.
"Again, with all these young guys, we just want to see how much they can take from the classroom to the field to showcase their talent and really begin the competition process. Obviously, he’s a guy that can do that and provide obviously the depth that we need at receiver, especially when you’re going into training camp to have numbers there. But yeah, [we’re] excited to work with him.”
Luke Fortner starts career at center as expected
The Jaguars said when they drafted Luke Fortner that he would start his career at center while having the versatility to also play guard. And just like with Walker, the Jaguars stuck to their word and kept Fortner in his intended position, with the No. 65 overall pick taking his spot at center for his first pro practice.
Fortner will compete with veteran Tyler Shatley for the center job. It appears the Jaguars are looking at other options at left guard and will have Will Richardson as a backup at right guard, leaving Fortner and Shatley at center. Fortner didn't look out of place on Friday and had a consistent afternoon of snapping.
Which minicamp participant will have a shot at left guard
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson labeled third-year guard Ben Bartch as the leader at the left guard spot entering offseason practices, but he made sure to make it clear the competition was far from over. In fact, he named one minicamp participant as a potential option at the spot in second-year offensive lineman Coy Cronk.
"Ben [Bartch]’s obviously the guy right now, but listen, it’s still a young offseason right now and we’re rotating a lot of guys in there. KC [McDermott]’s been in there, [Coy] Cronk’s been in there, so we’re kind of rotating those guys right now," Pederson said. "We feel it’s valuable this team of year to really get the versatility out of these guys. Now that we have some of these young guys in here this weekend and going into next week, we’ll be able to maybe shift some guys around even more and find those right combinations.”
Cronk spent last year's training camp with the Green Bay Packers and eventually was signed to Jacksonville's practice squad. While he may be a long-shot at left guard, it does appear his chance at the position isn't exactly at 0%
