Jaguars Week 6 Rookie Report: Rookie Class Gets Significant Snaps Vs. Lions
The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered through another excruciating loss in Week 6, losing 34-16 to the Detroit Lions at home for their fifth consecutive loss. It was a long Sunday for the Jaguars, which is quickly become a pattern.
But what has also become a pattern is the Jaguars utilizing an abundance of rookies each week. This didn't change in Week 6 -- in fact, the Jaguars played even more rookies, starting two on offense and three on defense.
So, how did each of the various rookies on offense, defense and special teams perform? We examine here.
CB CJ Henderson (Round 1, 9th overall)
Snaps played: 73 (95%).
Stats: six tackles.
CJ Henderson had one of the best games of his rookie campaign in Week 6. While Kenny Golladay frequently beat the Jaguars downfield for big plays, Henderson was rarely at fault for any of the explosive plays given up by the defense. According to Pro Football Reference, Henderson allowed three catches on five targets (60%) for just 27 yards, giving him 5.4 yards per target and a passer rating of 74.6 when targeted, by far the best numbers of any Jaguars cornerback from Sunday. Henderson didn't make any game-changing plays, but he was solid.
DE K'Lavon Chaisson (Round 1, 20th overall)
Snaps played: 55 (71%).
Stats: Zero tackles, two pressures.
Despite playing a career-high 55 snaps, K'Lavon Chaisson didn't record a single tackle on Sunday. Chaisson struggled to set the edge as a run defender vs. Detroit's large and physical offensive line, which was to be expected. What was the most glaring issue, however, was the fact that he got just two pressures as a pass rusher. The Jaguars desperately needed him to step up with Josh Allen sidelined, but he was once again dominated more often than not when it came to getting after the quarterback. Add on an offsides penalty on a Jabaal Sheard sack on third-down, and it was a day to forget for Chaisson.
WR Laviska Shenault (Round 2, 42nd overall)
Snaps played: 47 (73%).
Stats: Three catches for 10 yards; one carry for one yard.
Despite the Lions entering the week with massive issues in the secondary and at the second level, the Jaguars were unable to get Laviska Shenault going at all. The Jaguars mostly funneled targets to Keelan Cole and DJ Chark, rendering Shenault an afterthought for all of Week 6. He did have one terrific first down conversion a screen pass in which he forced three missed tackles before getting the ball past the first down market.
NT DaVon Hamilton (Round 3, 73rd overall)
Snaps played: 41 (53%).
Stats: one tackle.
DaVon Hamilton has a lot of talent and should get better with more experience, but his first NFL start was an unmitigated disaster. It takes a failure by all 11 players to allow 180 rushing yards and three rushing scores like the Jaguars did on Sunday, but Hamilton was especially porous as a run defender, frequently getting blown off of the ball against double teams and even losing ground at the point of attack vs. single blocks. Hamilton has flashed at times this season, but Sunday was a far cry from the expectations for the rookie nose tackle.
OG Ben Bartch (Round 4, 116th overall)
Snaps played: 55 (86%).
Stats: N/A.
Starting the game as A.J. Cann's backup, Ben Bartch was put into the lineup on the second offensive possession. The D-III product was predictably a bit uneven in his first live game action, showing a mix of good and bad. According to Pro Football Focus, Bartch finished ranked 37 of 69 qualifying guards in run blocking grade for Week 6, which is a higher run blocking grade than either Andrew Norwell or Cann recorded in Week 6. On the other hand, Bartch had PFF's eighth-lowest pass blocking grade in Week 6, a result of the organization giving Bartch credit for three pressures (one hit, two hurries) on. His performance against the Lions gave him PFF's 52nd highest pass blocking rate of 67 guards in Week 6.
CB Josiah Scott (Round 4, 137th overall)
Snaps played: N/A.
Stats: N/A.
For the second week in a row, Josiah Scott was active but did not play a single snap on defense or special teams. He has yet to see the field for the Jaguars.
LB Shaquille Quarterman (Round 4, 140th overall)
Snaps played: N/A.
Stats: N/A.
Shaquille Quarterman played only on special teams on Sunday.
SS Daniel Thomas (Round 5, 157th overall)
Snaps played:
Stats: N/A.
Daniel Thomas played only on special teams on Sunday.
WR Collin Johnson (Round 5, 165th overall)
Snaps played: 15 (23%).
Stats: N/A.
One week after the best game of his rookie season, Collin Johnson saw zero targets on 15 snaps. As with Shenault, the ball simply went to other receivers, making it a forgettable day for the rookie wideout.
QB Jake Luton (Round 6, 189th overall)
Snaps played: N/A.
Stats: N/A.
Jake Luton was inactive on Sunday.
TE Tyler Davis (Round 6, 206th overall)
Snaps played: 16 (25%).
Stats: N/A.
Tyler Davis was targeted twice by Gardner Minshew on Sunday, marking the first time this season he has been targeting in the passing game. He failed to bring either target in for a catch, but his snaps will likely skyrocket against the Chargers in Week 7 due to a neck injury to Tyler Eifert.
CB Chris Claybrooks (Round 7, 223rd overall)
Snaps played: 1 (1%).
Stats: N/A.
Claybrooks was benched in favor of Sidney Jones, leading to the rookie cornerback playing only one defensive snap and then spending the rest of his time on special teams. He did return a kick, though he failed to get to the 20-yard line.
RB James Robinson (UDFA)
Snaps played: 44 (69%).
Stats: 12 rushes for 29 yards; four receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown.
James Robinson had the least productive day of his career by far on Sunday, though the tape shows this was much more about the Jaguars getting beaten up front (both in the trenches and in terms of play-calling). Robinson's lone highlight was a 14-yard touchdown catch toward the end of the game, the first touchdown catch of Robinson's NFL career. It is the fourth touchdown Robinson has scored this season, giving him one more touchdown than Leonard Fournette had in 2019.
CB Luq Barcoo (UDFA)
Snaps played: N/A.
Stats: N/A.
Luq Barcoo was inactive on Sunday.
DT Doug Costin (UDFA)
Snaps played: 23 (30%).
Stats: four tackles.
Doug Costin only played 23 defensive snaps on Sunday, though he still managed to earn the team's highest Week 6 defensive grade from PFF. Costin was credited with a pressure and two run stops from PFF, showing that he was able to make an impact despite minimal snaps, something the Jaguars have yet to see from Taven Bryan consistently.
LS Ross Matiscik (UDFA)
Snaps played: N/A.
Stats: N/A.
Ross Matiscik started his sixth game for the Jaguars as the team's long snapper on Sunday.
