Jaguars Training Camp: 5 Things We Have Learned So Far
The Jacksonville Jaguars have turned in eight tough training camp practices at Miller Electric Center so far, and the lessons have been endless.
For a young Jaguars team that is still working toward fine-tuning the aspects of their squad that will determine whether they are true contenders, the last two weeks have been invaluable. But through eight training camp practices, what parts of this year's roster have made lasting impressions and what exactly have we learned?
The offensive line is still being sorted out
One of the biggest question marks for the Jaguars entering training camp was their offensive line. And while we know who at least four of the Week 1 starters will be as long as everyone remains healthy, it is still obvious that the Jaguars are looking for more definitive answers along the line.
The health of the unit is one aspect worth considering, with right tackle Anton Harrison and Tyler Shatley each missing parts of practice in recent days. Neither has a concerning injury, but it show the lack of depth the Jaguars have when you consider that they were replaced by Josh Wells and Blake Hance.
Then there is the left guard position as a whole that needs to be finalized. Shatley has been the first-team starter for most of camp, but Walker Little has also seen snaps there and, eventually, so will Ben Bartch. Plus, all eyes will be on Harrison at right tackle whenever his shoulder injury allows him to return to team drills.
"The biggest thing expected of him is that he gets better every single day. You want to continue to push him and continue to see that growth keep going. We don’t expect today where he’s going to be in week one," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said about Harrison. "We want to see a lot of growth in that time, and so far, we’ve seen that day-to-day with him.”
The tight end room may be the deepest on the roster come September
It is hard to believe it considering the Jaguars only have one tight end who has actually seen extensive game experience, but the Jaguars' tight end room might prove to be one of the deepest position groups on the roster once cut-down days come. Evan Engram has had a fantastic camp, but he isn't alone. For the first time in a long time, the Jaguars have versatility and talent in their tight end room that goes beyond just their starting tight end.
Second-round rookie tight end Brenton Strange has turned up his production in recent practices, including an impressive downfield grab against star cornerback Tyson Campbell on Thursday. Third-year tight end Luke Farrell looks primed to take over Chris Manhertz's old role in the offense, and Gerrit Prince has been maybe the biggest surprise of camp after having several standout practices and red-zone performances.
One-on-ones deserve context
Credit to Doug Pederson on this one. One-on-ones in NFL practices are always highly scrutinized, whether it is skill players vs coverage players or offensive linemen vs. defensive linemen. To many, those are the type of matchups that help determine wins and losses on Sundays. But in truth, context is needed with every single rep, especially in these controlled environments.
Pederson did a good job of explaining why, noting that the Jaguars' first set of one-on-ones during Wednesday's first day pads were a part of a drill that saw the Jaguars explicitly tell their defenders to rush a certain type of way. Knowing that these drills can sometimes have these underlying conditions, maybe it is bet to take smaller stock into them.
"Defensively, when a period like that comes up, we talk to our guys a lot. You want to establish as camp progresses, you want to establish an identity. You want to have some sort of physicality about you, especially with the pass rush," Pederson said.
"Yesterday, it was just trying to do that. Trying to establish that physicality, trying to establish that persona of who can we be. What you saw yesterday too with that, is you didn’t see a lot of different pass rush moves. It was pretty much let’s go right into the offense linemen. A little bit easier for the O-linemen. Where I get excited is when we’re in team drills and they’re working their games, their combinations, their stunts, their pressures. That’s where I get to see the pass rush. It’s good to see athleticism, it’s good to see movement skills, get off, it’s good to see all of that in one-on-ones. Sometimes it’s a little bit unfair one way or the other.”
Why we get so many Calvin Ridley vs. Tyson Campbell matchups
One thing that has become a consistent fixture in Jaguars training camp has been one-on-one battles between Tyson Campbell and Calvin Ridley. The No. 1 receiver and No. 1 cornerback have had some titanic clashes in that span, normally drawing a wave of cheers from the crowd from the second they line up against each other to the second the whistle blows.
Why have we seen the battles take place so often over the first eight practices of camp? It is simple -- because that is what Ridley and Campbell want. Much like Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders used to refuse to practice against anyone else during their classic epic battles in practice, Ridley and Campbell make an effort to seek each other out in each drill.
"He makes it very hard, and I’m going to come swinging every day and I know he’s going to come swinging," Ridley said. "I really don’t want to go against too many other people than him in practice because I’m trying to get the real work and the grind, the hard reps, so that’s what I want.”
Where Mike Caldwell wants the defense to improve
The Jaguars' defense had flashes throughout the 2022 season, but the overall final production and standings left a lot to be desired out of defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell's unit. From poor figures against the pass to a low sack total, it would make sense for Caldwell to require improvement from a number of areas on his unit. But early on in camp, Caldwell revealed to media the true top area his defense needs to improve in: tackling.
“Probably the worst thing that I thought we did was tackling," Caldwell said. "We emphasized it last year and we’ll continue to do it this year, but we talk to the guys about how it’s not just one guy making the tackle. It’s all eleven getting to the ball. We just have to do a better job of rallying to the ball and getting guys on the ground.”
“Really, the way we look at it, in the NFL, you hardly ever get a chance to tackle your teammates. When we’re not in pads and when we are in pads, you have to go through the dynamics of making a tackle. You have to run to the ball, machinegun your feet, lower your target, and put yourself in a position to make the tackle, not just run by a guy. That will translate when it’s time to really make a tackle.”
