OTAs Notebook: Lawrence Impresses in a Big Way, Minshew’s Absence and More
More reps to go around at quarterback turned out to be a good thing for the Jacksonville Jaguars' offense on Thursday, especially for No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence.
The Jaguars put another organized team activity practice in the books with the team's sixth OTA session taking place at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex at TIAA Bank Field. The team didn't have perfect attendance like last week's open practice, but this week's sharpening of skills saw several key players make plays -- especially on offense.
Who stood out during the practice and what does it mean moving forward? We break down each thing we saw during the media's viewing session.
Trevor Lawrence has a day
If last week's OTA practice performance from Lawrence was just "okay" by head coach Urban Meyer's standards, then today's practice was a different animal entirely. The Jaguars didn't emphasize as much red zone work as they did last Thursday (which is naturally more difficult to complete passes in), but Lawrence looked like the real deal in each phase of the Jaguars' practice on Thursday.
In the first team period, Lawrence was at first a bit rattled by pressure but quickly settled in and completed multiple passes in a row -- including a rollout pass to tight end Tim Tebow following some pressure. The ball came out of his hands with noticeable velocity and he finished the period completing 5 out of 6 passes. His best pass was a floater to Laviska Shenault that he fit perfectly over the defender and helped lead Shenault to the sideline.
In seven-on-seven, Lawrence was even better. He appeared to settle in more and delivered several strikes, including a deep pass to DJ Chark that was caught against Shaquill Griffin. Lawrence fit a few passes into tight windows, including one pass in which he rolled out and hit tight end Chris Manhertz along the sideline, leading to Manhertz making a tough catch and conversion. Lawrence completed 7 of 9 passes during this period, though this includes a few dump-off passes. He did miss Marvin Jones deep once, though he connected with Jones earlier in the practice.
Lawrence then completed each of the three passes we saw him attempt in the final period of media viewing, including his best throw of the day -- a deep strike downfield to tight end James O'Shaughnessy, Lawrence's longest completion of the day and a throw that drew a noticeable reaction from the rest of the offense.
Overall, we had Lawrence down as 15 of 18 in team drills and seven-on-seven, at least for the throws we saw. And one of those incompletions was an inch away from being a completed pass to Shenault along the sideline as well. Compared to when we saw Lawrence last, his performance was a dramatic improvement. If he looked like a rookie last week, then he looked like the real deal No. 1 overall pick this week.
I" think he did well. If I’m not mistaken, he threw me some pretty good balls today, which is cool. I like catching those. But every day is a step," Chark said after practice.
"Any time that we do complete passes like that today, that’s a credit to the work we’ve been putting in or that he’s been putting in. Once again, it’s just OTA’s right now, so by the time that first game gets here, it’s going to be way more of those type plays being made.”
Gardner Minshew's absence leads to more reps for other quarterbacks
Third-year quarterback Gardner Minshew was one of two notable absences among veterans on the practice field Thursday, joining left guard Andrew Norwell. Minshew had received a substantial amount of reps in the first OTA practice held in front of the media last week, so him not being on the field meant there were a good amount of throws that had to be replaced on Thursday during the voluntary practice.
"Yeah, it was a light day for the veterans. He will be in here on Monday," Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said after practice. "Norwell wasn't there as well, but they will both be back on Monday."
With Minshew not on the field on Thursday, we got to see more from the other quarterbacks. Lawrence took advantage of it by having a strong practice and continuing to build his chemistry with Chark, Shenault and Jones. C.J. Beathard had a so-so day; he had one terrific touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett over Corey Straughter, but he also missed Collin Johnson badly deep earlier in the practice. Jake Luton had a rougher day, showing off his arm strength on several instances but also struggling with accuracy and throwing it into traffic more than either of the other two passers.
Laviska Shenault stands out
The Jaguars' offense had the edge over the defense in general on Thursday, but Laviska Shenault especially stood out. He caught everything thrown his way whether it was from Lawrence or Bethard and he looked quick in and out of his breaks. His near-catch along the sideline was an excellent display of athleticism. Shenault has always looked like one of the most athletic players on the field due to his blend of size, power and explosiveness, and this was again the case on Thursday.
DJ Chark wins "big on big" battles
DJ Chark is a player who has been challenged by head coach Urban Meyer to improve upon his 2020 season and so far it appears he has attacked that challenge with ferocity. He won several impressive reps against Shaquill Griffin (who shut down receivers last week) on Thursday, including beating him deep for the aforementioned Lawrence completion. If Chark is going to stake his claim as a potential No. 1 receiver in 2021, winning battles against the team's best defenders in practice will go a long way.
Tosh Lupoi's unit looks impressive
It is unfair to judge defensive and offensive lines too harshly during OTAs, but I was still impressed by defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi's unit on Thursday. They practiced with infectious enthusiasm, going full-speed through individual drills as veterans like Jihad Ward ramped up the energy. The defensive line also just looks like a completely reshaped group off the eye test alone. Last year, the defensive line was mostly composed of smaller players and journeyman veterans. Now, the unit has significantly more imposing size and more established depth, which stands out even in OTAs.
“Tosh has been good. He’s putting us through drills that are going to put us in good position in the game, that’s pass and run," Jaguars defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris said after practice.
"We’ve continued to stack great days with him, so I think Tosh is going to continue to help us improve each day and then once we get to camp and get passed on, he’s going to continue to help us improve once we really get to play with the o-line.”
Which tight end stood out
While Tebow looked smooth during his catch from Lawrence early in the practice, it was James O'Shaughnessy who stood out among the team's tight ends. The safe money should still be on Chris Manhertz to play the most snaps among the team's tight ends due to his blocking ability, but O'Shaughnessy looked dynamic before the catch on Thursday and made several impressive grabs. He looked like the team's best tight end on Thursday, a week after Meyer already heaped a good amount of praise on him.
Daniel Thomas continues to make plays
The best play any individual has made through two media practices was a play Thomas made during the first team period. With Luton dropping back to pass, Thomas read his eyes and drove downhill on the route of Luton's intended target and dived forward for the interception, coming up with the football and drawing loud praise from the defensive sideline. One year after the fifth-round rookie made a number of impressive plays (one interception, one punt blocked and returned for a touchdown), the young and athletic safety looks like he could be making a name for himself with the new regime.
Adam Gotsis' leadership
One thing that stood out during Thursday's practice was veteran defensive lineman Adam Gotsis passing down his knowledge of the league and proper techniques to his younger teammates. Gotsis could be seen giving fourth-round rookie defensive lineman Jay Tufele one-on-one tips throughout individual drills as the two watched on. The Jaguars have a mix of veterans and young players along the defensive line, so moments like that will continue to stand out as the two sides mesh.
Pharoh Cooper makes Jaguars debut
Signed to the roster early on Thursday morning following veteran receiver Terry Godwin being placed on injured reserve, Pharoh Cooper made his practice debut a few hours later for the Jaguars. Cooper didn't make any plays to stand out, but it is clear he will step right into Godwin's role as special teams and receiver depth.
