Jaguars vs. Cowboys: Who Popped Off the Screen in Preseason Opener?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are officially one game deep in the 2023 NFL preseason. While it’s like the TV show Whose Line is it Anyway?! in that it’s a lot of fun and the points don’t matter, it's safe to assume that the Duval Devout spent Saturday night pinning their hopes to a relative handful of snaps to celebrate (or panic) about the future of their season. With that sentiment, here are the top performers from this 28-23 exhibition win against the Cowboys in Dallas.
Gregory Junior
Give The Jaguar Report’s Daniel Griffis credit for calling attention to the Jags’ 2022 6th-round pick out of Ouachita Baptist in his 5 Players to Watch piece, but Gregory Junior is a big reason why the Dallas Cowboys stayed out of the end zone for all but 13 seconds of the opening half.
Junior made his first big play by scooping a fumble from Dallas’ punt returner KaVonte Turpin on special teams that was forced by Tim Jones. Then later in the first quarter, he forced the fumble by the Cowboys Rico Dowdle to eliminate a big run right in front of the goal line to keep his opponent off the scoreboard early.
Anton Harrison
This 1st round rookie offensive tackle from Oklahoma is going to be a big part of the equation if Jacksonville hopes to hop out to a quick start in 2023. Showing his brute strength by delivering pancakes in his first NFL game action, his picking up a stunt on Trevor Lawrence’s touchdown pass to Christian Kirk was a show of intelligence and resolve you want to see at the NFL level.
This is the sort of play necessary to leave laments over Jawaan Taylor’s departure to Kansas City and Cam Robinson’s suspension in the rearview unscathed.
Jacob Harris
This tall-target wider receiver was with the Los Angeles Rams for the first two years of his career as a 2021 4th-round pick out of UCF. While he only recorded only one target on the night, the 42-yard diving snag was easily the play of the game for the Jags.
Standing at 6’ 5” and 211 lbs., he possesses the one thing no one can coach – size. One has to imagine that a weapon who is even taller than tight end Evan Engram might be a consideration in the red zone for a jump ball.
Nathan Rourke
It may be cliché to throw a quarterback into these kinds of lists, but one must put some respect on Nathan Rourke. It’s tough enough to get a shot as an undrafted free agent, but this former British Columbia Lion was last playing significant football in Canada.
But to be able to deliver a strike with both of a rusher’s arms wrapped around you after making two guys miss for your team to take a two-score lead in the final quarter is remarkable on its own. Pair it with a 9-of-17 passing performance with 153 yards and six carries for 20 yards and a score featuring a coffin-nailing first down run and we have a 25-year-old battling for a job in football’s biggest league.
