Jaguars Taking Different Approach With Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd Than With 2021 Rookies
A year after taking a slow-and-steady approach with every rookie on the roster, the Jacksonville Jaguars are taking a much different approach in 2022 -- at least with their first-round picks.
Third-round picks Luke Fortner and Chad Muma will likely start the year as backups, but the Jaguars don't appear to repeating the mistakes with Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd that they made with Trevor Lawrence, Tyson Campbell, Walker Little, and Andre Cisco
Turn the clock back to a year ago, and it would have been hard to find any Jaguars rookie running consistently with the first-team offense or defense ... despite the Jaguars finishing as the worst team in the NFL in 2020.
Lawrence? He started all 17 games, but he didn't even get full-time starters reps in practice until after the second preseason game. Before then, he was splitting those reps with Gardner Minshew.
Campbell? The Jaguars woefully miscast him in the slot to start his rookie season, having CJ Henderson start the year at outside cornerback before being traded after the first couple of games.
Little? He started only three games, each coming due to either injury or COVID-19-related absences to Cam Robinson.
Cisco? He, too, started only three games after being forced into a reserve role behind Andrew Wingard. Had Wingard not missed the last few games of the year with COVID-19 protocols, Cisco likely wouldn't have started any games despite being arguably the best safety on the roster.
The Jaguars had little to play for as the worst team in the NFL last year, but they put their rookies behind the eight-ball by either miscasting them, not giving them enough reps or making them backups behind players who shouldn't have been playing in front of them.
After taking in this week's organized team activity practice, though, it is clear the Jaguars aren't taking that approach with Walker and Lloyd, who the Jaguars selected at No. 1 and No. 27 respectively.
Watching Jacksonville's starting defense on Tuesday, it wasn't hard to spot Walker and Lloyd. While neither is in the same circumstances the Jaguars' rookies were last year, it is clear each is being allowed to hit the ground running.
Walker was hard to miss on the edge of the defense at outside linebacker, lined up on the other side of Josh Allen. Lloyd, meanwhile, made a big pass coverage play at inside linebacker, lined up next to free-agent addition Foyesade Oluokun.
The Jaguars took their time letting the 2021 class hit the field. And while the same could potentially be said for Fortner, Muma and other members of this year's class, it is obvious the same can not be said for Walker and Lloyd, who will play early and often for Jacksonville's defense.
“Guys like Travon [Walker] and Devin [Lloyd] and Luke [Fortner] and Chad [Muma], these guys are going to be working in with the ones and some of the twos and we have so many guys," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said when OTAs began in May.
"But again, this is the time for everybody to get reps, get meaning reps, and it’s just a great opportunity for them to work in. It’s something that as a rookie too, they’ve only been here about a week now and how well they can take the information to the football field as we go and how much they can understand and comprehend.”
Yes, it is early. A lot can happen between now in Week 1. Other players can stake their claims for starting spots, forcing a changing of the depth chart.
But for now, the Jaguars are letting their top picks learn on the field -- something the Jaguars didn't do last season.
