Inside AFC South: Key Position Battles to Watch in Training Camp
NFL training camps, at least the 2020 version of them, have been underway over the last several weeks and the next few stages of each team's camp is set to take place soon. Before we know it, we will have teams practicing in pads within the next two weeks.
It is when the pads come on that we will see the fiercest position battles take place for each team. What one can do in the classroom and in walkthroughs and position drills is one thing, but doing it at full speed is another thing entirely.
So, what are the position battles throughout the Jaguars' division that are worth tracking over the next several weeks? We spoke with each of the AFC South publishers throughout our network to get the answers.
Jacksonville
With one of the league's youngest rosters entering the 2020 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a number of position units that are set to see fierce competition for snaps. Can Chris Conley fend off Laviska Shenault? Who will be the backup quarterback? Will DaVon Hamilton or Abry Jones start at nose tackle?
But the one position battle that surpasses each of these in importance is that of left tackle. Jacksonville has faced inconsistency at the left tackle position since the days of peak Eugene Monroe, and the two latest attempts to find a long-term solution at the blind side are fourth-year pro Cam Robinson and third-year veteran Will Richardson.
Robinson played a big role in Jacksonville's run to the AFC Championship in 2017, starting 15 games at left tackle and helping pave the way for what was of the league's best rushing attacks and red zone offenses that season. But in 2018, Robinson tore his ACL in Week 3, resulting in a lost sophomore season. Robinson returned in Week 3 in 2019 and then started the rest of the year at left tackle, but he had more struggles than bright spots.
In an effort to push Robinson, the Jaguars have moved Richardson from right guard over the left tackle spot. Richardson started two games at the position in 2019 and impressed in his limited snaps, but he has spent most of his football career playing elsewhere on the offensive line.
The odds are Robinson will win the job early on, but it remains to be seen who takes control of the position and holds onto it for the rest of 2020. It truly could go either way, making this a position battle worth watching,
-- John Shipley, JaguarReport
Tennessee
There is no question that there will come a time when first-round draft pick Isaiah Wilson is the Titans’ starting right tackle. The question is whether that time is now.
If the 29th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, a 6-foot-6, 350-pound mountain of a man, is to claim the job this season he will have to get past Dennis Kelly, a veteran backup who – at 6-foot-8, 321 pounds – occupies quite a bit of space in his own right. An eighth-year veteran Kelly has been a versatile and valuable backup for virtually off his career, including the past three seasons with the Titans.
Kelly agreed to a three-year, $17.25 million extension in March with the idea that he would replace free agent departure Jack Conklin at right tackle. The deal, however, is constructed so that the team can cut him after one season. After the draft, it became clear that re-signing Kelly was a hedge against the possibility that Wilson did not last until Tennessee picked and immediately general manager Jon Robinson declared the two “will battle it out” this year.
It is clear that Wilson has significant upside but at 21 years old, he is still relatively young. Kelly, at 30 years old, is who he is as an NFL player. It remains to be seen whether that is enough for him to be a starter – for one year, at least.
-- David Boclair, AllTitans
Indianapolis
The free-agent departure of ninth-year defensive end Jabaal Sheard translates to an open starting spot with five Colts candidates vying for snaps: Denico Autry, Kemoko Turay, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Ben Banogu, and Tyquan Lewis.
When padded practices begin at training camp next week, the Colts have roughly one month to sort this out. The hunch is Autry will slide outside from defensive tackle on run downs because the Colts traded for All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to play the three-technique position and will want a run-stuffing nose tackle next to the newcomer.
Autry, who has had 12.5 of his career 23 sacks in the past two seasons with the Colts, would then move inside in pass-rush situations to allow Turay, Muhammad, Banogu, or Lewis to be edge rushers. Turay is the most accomplished pass rusher of the four, although he suffered a broken ankle in Week 5 last year and is on the injury list for now. How quickly the third-year pro heals will factor into how this rotation plays out.
Muhammad had three sacks last season, the first of his three-year career, and he played in all 16 games with four starts. The 2017 sixth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints is the classic overachiever, whose continual progression has been rewarded with snaps. He’s found a way to get on the field.
Banogu, a 2019 second-round selection, had 2.5 sacks and just 11 tackles as a rookie. The expectation is for him to make a marked improvement in year two, a must if he’s going to earn the playing time needed to prove himself worthy of the lofty draft choice.
Lewis has been unable to stay healthy for two seasons with 15 games missed due to injuries. The 2018 second-round pick could be on the bubble for making the final 53-man roster if he doesn’t show something.
The good news is everyone will get a chance for the next month. At the very least, a player has to earn a spot in the position rotation or else. Muhammad has experience backing up defensive end Justin Houston, so he’s probably a safe bet to keep that role, too.
-- Phillip B. Wilson, AllColts
