Jaguars Notebook: Rookie Minicamp Takes on Brian Thomas, Jarvis Landry, And More

What did we see during the Jaguars' rookie minicamp practice on Friday?

The Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie class has officially gone through orientation.

It is far from graduation day for the Jaguars' 30-plus draft picks, undrafted rookies, tryout players, and practice squad or second-year veterans. But Friday's rookie minicamp was the first of two practices that will help bring the next generation into the fold.

These two days we kind of prepare them for next week, because once they get in here, obviously they will be, now they're with an NFL club. Right now they're just rookies," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday.

"So, come Monday, when everybody starts walking in here and they start seeing all the guys, it makes an impact on them. A lot of these guys, obviously they were starters in college, and now they're going to have to take backup roles and they're going to compete for starting positions or at least compete for that backup spot, and it changes just a little bit for them. This weekend though, from the meetings to the on the field stuff is really going to prepare them for the next five weeks I guess that we are here.”

So, what all did we see at the Miller Electric Center's practice field as the rookies went through their first NFL practice? We break it down below.

Brian Thomas Jr. looks the part

It is hard to have too many bonafide takeaways from rookie minicamp practices, but one thing that is clear from the first practice is that Brian Thomas Jr. is as advertised athletically. Thomas simply looked the part of a first-round receiver in terms of size, speed, and overall movement ability on Friday. He also didn't drop a single pass on a day where several other receivers were inconsistent. Thomas Jr. stood out compared to his peers, which is what you want to see out of a first-round pick.

The real work has yet to begin with Thomas, who will need to quickly acclimate himself to Trevor Lawrence. Thomas is expected to be a featured part of the offense, and Lawrence will need the rookie receiver to be ready to produce right away. It is far too soon to start making Offensive Rookie of the Year predictions, but Friday was a good first step.

"I think Brian Thomas [Jr.] is obviously a guy that stood out right away, whether it's on tape, whether it's at the combine with how well he performed, that's certainly somebody that stands out and you're like, wow, this is a guy you would love to have on your team," Jaguars assistant general manager Ethan Waugh said on Friday.

Jarvis Landry's day

The biggest story of the day was veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry. The former Pro Bowler with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns spent 2023 out of football after injuries cut his 2022 season short. On Friday, Landry got his first shot at getting back in the league via a tryout with the Jaguars, with the veteran receiver saying other teams have shown interest in him as well.

"It's a good opportunity. You know, I'm about a 40-minute flight from here. So it's a good opportunity. And not only that, it is a great football team that is on the cusp of doing some really great things inside of the division and in the league. So, you know, I thought it'd be a good opportunity," Landry said after practice.

It was clear the respect the younger receivers on the field had for Landry, with Landry even saying some came up to him and said they watched him while in high school. It was also clear how much Landry carried himself like a veteran with something to prove, showing plenty of emotion and competitive spirit. After reps, he would go over routes with minicamp quarterback Brennan Armstrong (who was the best rookie minicamp quarterback in three years).

With that said, it was clear the veteran was still adjusting to getting back to his usual standard after a year out of football. He lost his footing on a few routes and had a few drops, but he also showed off impressive hands on several deep passes. Landry could be signed to the 90-man roster if the Jaguars want to bring him and his leadership into training camp, which would make a lot of sense -- even if he didn't set the world on fire on Friday.

New kickoff rules will be a major emphasis this offseason

It is obvious that special teams will be an even larger focus than usual for NFL teams this spring and summer. The NFL's new kickoff rules are unprecedented by the league's standards, creating a shift in strategy, evaluation of players and kickoff and kick return units. and more. We got our first look on Friday of what the new rule will look like in a practice setting, and there are absolutely more moving parts now.

“We've started from Phase one with our special teams, introducing the new scheme, the layout. We've worked it," Pederson said.

"Even though we can't compete against each other in Phase two, we're still working through the alignments and assignments and all that. We'll introduce it to the rookies this weekend. Then when we get to Phase three when we can kind of go against each other a little bit more it will give us a bigger or a brighter picture, I think, as to how it's going to unfold for us.”

The new kickoff rules could create some shifts in roster management. Teams could carry more tight ends and linebackers than in year's past, with both positions seemingly being a core piece of the new-look units.

Updates on members of the 2023 draft class

Most second-year players and former draft picks don't attend rookie minicamp unless they are a late Day 3 pick, and this was the case with the Jaguars on Friday. The only member of their 13-player draft class from 2023 who took part in Friday's practice was cornerback Erick Hallett II. There was a good reason for that, though, with Doug Pederson noting that fourth-round linebacker Ventrell Miller, sixth-round cornerback Christian Braswell, and seventh-round offensive lineman Cooper Hodges were all not allowed to take part in the practice as a part of NFL rules.

“Actually, him, Christian Braswell, Cooper Hodges, because they're on IR, they get a pension credit, so they can't be a part of the rookie minicamp, which is kind of interesting," Pederson said. "But Ventrell's doing extremely well. He's healthy and he's moving around really well. He's competing and doing some really good things out there.”

Another 2023 draft pick who didn't take part in rookie minicamp is former fifth-round edge rusher Yasir Abdullah. While nothing during practice involved Abdullah, he was mentioned by both Pederson and assistant general manager Ethan Waugh before practice.

"A guy like Yasir is more of your second long or third down pass rush guy. In the new scheme it's a Sam linebacker in that position, so if you're in a 3-4 he's an outside backer. If you're in a 4-3 he could be off the ball. But chances are he's going to be more in some pass rush situations." Pederson said.

Rome wasn't built in a day

One thing that is important when taking stock in these practices is the context of the practice setting. In terms of difficulty, rookie minicamps are on the lower end of the scale for NFL practices. There are no pads, no team drills, no contact, and no compeitition between the offense and defense. In many ways, it is a warmup period to prepare the rookies for the rest of the offseason.

"I just think just it's going to be a lot of individual, a lot of drill work. Fundamentals, teaching, just the retention, just see what he can retain, just see his athleticism, see him move around." Pederson said when asked what he hoped to see from Masson Smith.

"Again, there's no pass rush, no offense, defensive stuff. It's just a matter of, I think, taking what he's being taught in the classroom, obviously take it to the field, and then no more than just watching him run around.”

In short, it is a loose usage of the term practice. It is an acclimation period, and there shouldn't be any major overreactions one way or another this time of the year.