The DJ Chark Show: Observations and Notes From the Jaguars' Thursday Practice
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One more Jacksonville Jaguars training camp practice is in the books, and we are once again bringing the most notable plays made and players involved from the padded day of practice.
After the Jaguars had a day off on Wednesday, they entered Thursday for the first of what would be six consecutive days of practice. It was overall a sharp practice for the team despite a few key players being out, including two members of the likely starting secondary.
So, who stood out on Thursday and what could it tell us about the team moving forward?
DJ Chark is simply on another level right now
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't had a wide receiver as the best player on the team since Allen Robinson in 2015, but it would be hard to argue today that Chark doesn't look like the squad's top player overall. Chark has simply been dominant for the entire duration of this year's training camp, but Thursday was a different kind of elite execution from the third-year Pro Bowler.
On at least four occasions, Chark made fantastic grabs that could be categorized as either touchdowns or highlight-reel plays. CJ Henderson wasn't practicing, of course, but Chark was still completely uncoverable on Thursday, showing off great chemistry with Gardner Minshew II. Here is a rundown, with most coming against Tramaine Brock.
- A touchdown in the right corner of the end zone during red zone drills with Brock in tight coverage. Chark created separation from Brock at the end of the route with a push off, accelerating once he found some open space.
- Another catch near the end zone in red zone drills, this time a deep route to the left part of the field with Brock in coverage. He tracked the ball great and didn't overrun its trajectory, giving him a chance to get possession before Brock could make a play on the ball.
- An amazing, leaping, one-handed catch near the left sideline. The pass was a bit high, but Chark put his vertical jump and length on display and somehow came down with the pass with the corner drapped over his back. It was maybe the best catch that has been made by anyone in camp this year.
- Finally, another touchdown in the right corner of the end zone. Minshew fit the ball in a tight window near the back of the end zone and Chark dived forward to maintain possession while still in bounds. Brock was right on him until the ball was thrown, and at that point Chark used his athleticism to give himself a chance to make a play.
Other members of the pass-catching group also had a good day
With two members of the secondary out in Henderson and Ronnie Harrison, it shouldn't be too surprising that the Jaguars' passing game looked sharp overall on Thursday. While Chark was the star of practice, other receivers and tight ends also left their marks, with Keelan Cole and Collin Johnson leading the way for the receivers. Cole made several nice catches from a host of quarterbacks, including a terrific high point catch along the right sideline on a pass from Mike Glennon. As for Johnson, he connected with Jake Luton and Josh Dobbs for a few impressive grabs, including a backshoulder touchdown in red zone drills.
As for the tight end position, Tyler Eifert and James O'Shaughnessy both flashed. Eifert has had a solid connection with Minshew for most of camp, and this continued on Thursday when Eifert was on the receiving end of a few short touchdowns from Minshew. As for O'Shaughnessy, he made several impressive grabs over the middle of the field, specifically one play up the seam in which he pulled in a catch in between three defenders.
K'Lavon Chaisson flashes in his first padded practice
In his first padded practice with the Jaguars this year, rookie first-round defensive end/outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson had some encouraging moments. After dealing with a hamstring issue during the first week or so of camp, Chaisson could be seen working off to the side with defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich during early portions of practice, while he took part in the team drills as practice progressed.
In team drills, Chaisson flashed good bend around the edge and an impressive first step. His natural burst alone helped him get at least one pressure on Minshew to force an incompletion. There is still much, much more work to be done from Chaisson, but he had a solid first day on the field.
Mike Glennon puts forth an uneven performance in midst of backup quarterback competition
With Mike Glennon still competing for Jacksonsonville's backup quarterback position, Thursday wasn't a perfect day for the eighth-year passer. Glennon had his moments, such as a few nice throws to Collin Johnson and Chris Conley, but overall his mistakes were still costly and obvious.
Glennon's two worst plays came with rookie defensive backs on the other side of the field. On one play, Glennon attempted to get a short pass to Conley but he hesitated upon delivery and was nearly intercepted by rookie cornerback Luq Barcoo. On another play, Glennon delivered a pass too high to Josh Hammond, leading to a deflection and Josiah Scott interception. Glennon has had his moments throughout camp, but Thursday was an uneven day.
Jaguars secondary depth gets tested
With CJ Henderson dealing with a mild, non-COVID-19 related illness and safety Ronnie Harrison in concussion protocol, the Jaguars got a glimpse of what their depth in the secondary is capable of. And while Barcoo and Scott each made big plays, it was the Jaguars' passing offense that won the day over the defense. Brock was in tight coverage on Chark more than a few times but he ultimately lost each battle, while rookies like Scott, Barcoo and Chris Claybrooks each got plenty of reps.
At safety, the Jaguars have an intriguing young group behind Harrison. Andrew Wingard has made a few impressive plays in camp, though he was a non-factor on Thursday. Meanwhile, rookies Daniel Thomas and J.R. Reed have each gotten on the field during team drills in one way or another, with Thomas coming close to making a few deflections on Thursday. But it was veteran safety Josh Jones who flashed the most with Harrison out, especially when it came to making plays in the box, the most notable of which came on a terrific run fit against Leonard Fournette to limit a play.
