Jaguars Training Camp, Day 10: Observations on Trevor Lawrence, Travon Walker and More
The days are getting long at training camp, with the dog days of summer officially setting in this week for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the rest of the league's 32 teams.
Sunday's practice was the longest one yet for the Jaguars, but what all did we see during practice No. 10 at Miller Electric Center? We break it down below.
Trevor Lawrence and the passing game look sharp enough to be one of the league's best
There isn't a question of whether the Jaguars' passing game will be dangerous this season. Trevor Lawrence exploded onto the scene in 2022 and the Jaguars are returning most of his weapons and his coaching staff. Add in a former Pro Bowler and first-round pick in Calvin Ridley and the expectations and standards for the Jaguars' offense are higher than they have ever been. And somehow ... the Jaguars' passing game has still exceeded those expectations.
Lawrence took a little bit to get out of the gate on Sunday before eventually having a tremendous practice. His command of the offense and his processing speed look like they are at all-time highs, while he has seemingly made big improvements in his two weakest areas (red-zone and touch throws). Lawrence looks dialed in, and he isn't alone.
Ridley had one of his best practices of training camp on Sunday, while Zay Jones has consistently been a star in red-zone drills. Christian Kirk has been the same talented receiver he always has been, while Evan Engram is practicing like a man possessed and looks even better than he did in last year's training camp. This isn't even mentioning the running back room or the ascending stock of Gerrit Prince. The Jaguars' offense is stacked and is firmly in its groove two weeks into camp.
Travon Walker has his best day of camp
Travon Walker is likely never going to be a player who shines in one-on-ones, so it probably is time to put that narrative to bed. And while Walker had another so-so day in that regard on Sunday, there is no ignoring how impressive Walker was during team drills, with last year's No. 1 overall pick turning in his best performance of training camp so far.
Walker had three plays that particularly stood out. One was a tackle for loss where he forced Tank Bigsby to cut back inside before registering what would have been an impactful stop. The next two plays were sacks, with one coming against rookie right tackle Anton Harrison as Walker blew by him with a speed rush. The other sack came against Walker Little, who was lined up at left guard. Walker was disruptive all day long, at least in terms of actual game situations.
The Day 3 pick who is stacking together big days
The Jaguars used nine picks on Day 3 of the draft, so it would be fair to assume that they are bound to hit on at least some of the selections. One pick that looks like an early success at this point? Offensive lineman Cooper Hodges, who has taken snaps mostly at right guard. The seventh-round pick from Appalachian State drew praise from the Jaguars' staff this offseason and has continued it with a strong showing in training camp.
Hodges has been one of the Jaguars' most consistent reserve offensive linemen throughout camp. His physicality and strength stand out in a big way both during team drills and one-on-ones, with Hodges showing the mettle to hang with even experienced veterans like Adam Gotsis and Foley Fatukasi. Hodges isn't ready for a starting role, but he has stacked together several big days and, at this point, deserves serious consideration for a roster spot.
Cornerback depth begins to shake out
Tyson Campbell stood on the sidelines during practice after going into concussion protocol on Saturday, which meant the Jaguars had a chance to sort out their cornerback depth in a big way. The hope is, obviously, that the Jaguars have their entire secondary healthy during the season, but chances are every team will have to start a backup defensive back at some point, which means the first- and second-team units are critical.
With Campbell off the field on Sunday, the Jaguars trotted out fourth-year cornerback Chris Claybrooks with the starting defense, keeping Tre Herndon in the slot. This would indicate that Claybrooks is currently the team's No. 4 cornerback. For the second-team defense, the Jaguars had Tevaughn Campbell and Montaric Brown at the outside spots, Gregory Junior in the nickel spot, and Andrew Wingard and Daniel Thomas at safety.
Play of the Day
The best play of the day belongs to wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who made two of his best catches of camp during the practice. One came on a vertical route down the right sideline where he hauled in a pass in tight space, but the best play came when he made a leaping sideline snag in between Daniel Thomas and Darious Williams. He looked like an elite receiver on Sunday.
Other notes
- Brandon McManus returned from his trip to Canton for the Hall of Fame ceremony, dressing out and appearing for the final period of practice. James McCout still took all of the kicks in team periods, but the Jaguars veteran kicker should be good to go for Monday's practice.
- Tyler Shatley only performed in individual drills and Sammis Reyes did not dress out for practice.
- Anton Harrison was a full participant in team drills for the first time this week. He held his own throughout the team period and had an encouraging rep vs. Travon Walker in one-on-ones, showing an impressive anchor.
- Parker Washington and Elijah Cooks both made some standout catches during practice. Cooks has been talked up by both the staff and Trevor Lawrence while Washington has improved over the course of camp.
- It is clear who the blocking tight ends are in Jacksonville's offense. During the first part of one-on-ones, Luke Farrell and Brenton Strange took pass-blocking reps with the offensive line while Evan Engram and Gerrit Prince remained with the rest of the skill players and the quarterbacks.
- Luke Fortner had a very good day of practice. He held his own against Foley Fatukasi in one-on-ones, earning some vocal praise from Phil Rauscher.
- DaVon Hamilton has been a standout performer in one-on-ones. He looks more explosive in this camp than he ever has and he has been the only interior linemen who has given Brandon Scherff issues.
- Yasir Abdullah's explosiveness has not translated to much pressure in camp since pads have come on. The Day 3 rookie does not look ready to make a big impact on the pass-rush, at least not yet.
