Jaguars vs. Cowboys: 3 Things to Watch in Preseason Opener

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be back to playing football on Saturday ... sort of.

The Jaguars will kick off their three-game preseason slate with a road tilt vs. the Dallas Cowboys, with the starters expected to play at least a few series.

“I think the expectation for them is to have clear communication in the huddle, substitutions in and out, being really crisp at the line of scrimmage," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said this week.

"You want to see clean operations that everybody understands the excitement. It’s not some exotic game plan with a lot going on, it’s core stuff that these guys know really well. We anticipate them being clean with their operation and execution. That’s really what you want to see; you want to have a good feel for their confidence, get them back into being in a huddle, something is on the line more so than practice here. That’s what you’re looking for from the ones early on.”]

So with the Jaguars suiting up against an opponent for the first time this preseason, what all will we have our eyes on?

Are these second-year leaps legit?

The Jaguars' roster is full of players who have seemingly taken big second-year leaps. There are the obvious names like first-round picks Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd -- each of whom looks like they have taken natural steps toward improvement -- but there are also some players lower on the roster who have truly done 180s. Players who a year ago were largely practice squad afterthoughts, at least outside of the walls of EverBank.

The two most notable developments have been from second-year tight end Gerrit Prince and second-year cornerback Gregory Junior. Each looks like locks for the 53-man roster based on what they have done in training camp so far, with Prince looking like a legitimate pass-catcher behind Evan Engram and Junior transforming his body and skillset to become an option at nickel cornerback.

The question, though, is whether this translates to game settings. Prince and Junior have had terrific training camps and could be in place for legitimate roles on offense and defense if they show out this preseason. That will all start vs. the Cowboys, with both players expected to play a decent bit since the starters will get just a few series.

The cornerback, wide receiver battles

Right now, it seems like the Jaguars have four wide receivers (Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones, Christian Kirk, Jamal Agnew) and four cornerbacks (Tyson Campbell, Darious Williams, Tre Herndon, Gregory Junior) who look like locks for the roster. The other spots in the receiver and cornerback rooms still have to be won, though, with a plethora of options for both.

At receiver, the Jaguars will need to see if Tim Jones, Kevin Austin Jr., Elijah Cooks, Jacob Harris, Seth Williams, and Parker Washington can establish themselves and pull away from the competition. Jones was able to use performances in last year's preseason to win a job over Laquon Treadwell, and now it is time to see if he, or someone else, can do the same this year.

At cornerback, the Jaguars will have to see whether veterans like Montaric Brown, Chris Claybrooks or Tevaughn Campbell are better options than rookie defensive backs Christian Braswell and Erick Hallett II. The Jaguars could carry either five or six cornerbacks, but it would seem like the clearest path to a spot on the roster is for one of these cornerbacks to establish themselves on the outside.

The test of the offensive line depth

The Jaguars' offensive line has been a big point of discussion throughout training camp and the offseason, and on Saturday we will get a limited look at what the unit might look like. Saturday will be especially intriguing due to the debut of rookie right tackle Anton Harrison. The starting unit is still in flux, however, with potential starting guards Tyler Shatley and Ben Bartch both set to not play.

As a result, we will see the Jaguars trot out Blake Hance at left guard, while also having to turn to other backup guards like Chandler Brewer, Samuel Jackson and Cooper Hoges in the process. Hance won't start Week 1, but Saturday will be his first extended look with the starters in a game situation, which is an opportunity he can't afford to let slip.

“Blake is another one that can play a few roles in the offensive line. He can play tackle for you; he can play both guard spots. He’s a swing guy," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said earlier this week.

"It’s unfortunate right now with Tyler Shatley’s situation. Tyler would be the guy, but with Blake, he’s earned the right to go in there and compete and get to start for Saturday’s preseason game. We’ll see how that unfolds, but he’s a smart guy and he’s just quiet, comes to work everyday and puts in a good day’s work. He’s really shown that he can play at this level, and he’s embraced his opportunity. From a coach’s perspective, having a guy that can move around just a little bit gives you that versatility you look for.”