5 Observations on Jaguars Minicamp, Day 2: Rookies Get Key Reps With Position Coaches
The Jacksonville Jaguars turned in the second of their three days of minicamp practice on Tuesday, once again having a scaled-down practice compared to this spring's OTAs
But what did we see during Tuesday's practice and what could it mean moving forward? We break it down below.
Adding context to Laviska Shenault's presence
The biggest name at minicamp this week was wide receiver Laviska Shenault. There were a handful of veterans at practice this week, but all other than players who spent time on the practice squad last year were injured. Since Shenault didn't have an obvious injury like others such as Rayshawn Jenkins or Jamal Agnew, many assumed he was there because the Jaguars thought he needed the reps.
But speaking with the media on Tuesday, Shenault added important context to why he was still on the field. Shenault, who took part in positional drills but, like Agnew, didn't participate in 7-on-7 and said after practice that he has been dealing with a hamstring injury. So, that solves the Shenault mystery. He is far from being on the roster bubble.
Gerrit Prince stands out among tight ends
The Jaguars don't exactly have a star-studded crew at tight end during minicamp. Their four veteran tight ends aren't on the field, leaving undrafted rookies Gerrit Prince and Grayson Gunter and try-out signee Naz Bohannon as the only tight ends at practice. Bohannon has had a bit of a quiet spring since having a stellar rookie minicamp, paving the way for Prince to become the Jaguars' rookie tight end to watch.
Prince has a nice blend of size and speed that shows up in practices like Tuesday. The true test will occur when pads come on and he has to prove himself in the trenches against defenders, but he looked good on Tuesday. He showed good speed after the catch, good routes in 7-on-7, and made arguably the most impressive catch of the day on a touchdown in the right corner of the end zone on a throw toward the sideline from EJ Perry.
Snoop Conner makes impressive catches and learns a key lesson
The Jaguars as a team have made it clear that they want to develop the entire running back room. Past years have seen them lean on just one or two running backs, but Doug Pederson's past with the Eagles showed how important it is to have a three-man depth chart in terms of playmakers. As such, it is key that fifth-round rookie Snoop Conner continues to show the strides that he showed on Tuesday -- even if it comes with learning from mistakes.
One of those moments came on Tuesday. Conner showed great hands in individual drills, frequently making tough catches in space and adjusting to passes outside his frame. His best play came when he hauled in a pass behind him and kept his balance to score.
The issue? Conner reached the ball over the end zone with one hand. That is a cardinal sin in football because of how often it can lead to fumbles, and running backs coach Bernie Parmalee made sure Conner and the rest of the running backs knew it. Conner had a really good practice, and moments like Tuesday should only make him better.
Devin Lloyd gets valuable time with linebacker gurus Tony Gilbert and Bob Sutton
Two players getting incredible teaching this week are rookie linebackers Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma. The Jaguars have just three off-ball linebackers at minicamp this week, giving the Jaguars and inside linebacker coach Tony Gilbert and senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton a lot of time to instruct their newest toys on defense. Gilbert is a former NFL linebacker, while Sutton has held key roles in the NFL for the last 22 years, with many of those years coming as a linebacker coach.
"They know a lot. And I mean, they're just, you know, so knowledgeable about everything in relation to the game," Lloyd said after Tuesday's practice.
"So I'm super appreciative for them. And I mean, they've been helping me so much, as far as coaching the details and refining little things, you know, from college to the pros. It's all about the details. It's all about the little stuff. And you know, they've been on me about that, on everybody about that, and so I think they've been doing a great job of helping me a lot."
Wyatt Ray gets his first practice in with the Jaguars
The Jaguars saw their outside linebacker room take a hit last week when second-year pass-rusher Jordan Smith sustained a season-ending knee injury in OTAs. This led to the Jaguars placing Smith on injured reserve on Tuesday as the Jaguars signed veteran pass-rusher Wyatt Ray to take his spot on the active roster -- a spot Ray used for the first time during Tuesday's practice.
Ray has appeared in 19 games with the Titans and Bengals the last two years, starting one game apiece for each squad. He appeared in 15 games with the Bengals last, recording one sack and two quarterback hits. Who knows if he can fight his way to a spot on the 53-man roster, but the Jaguars did opt to go with experience following the loss of Smith.
