The Jacksonville Jaguars had their second padded practice of training camp on Wednesday. While Tuesday was a major bounce-back day for the offense, who struggled through the first week of camp, Wednesday was much more balanced.
Jaguars Offense and Defense Both Shine in Second Padded Practice
Quarterback Report
Trevor Lawrence spent the first week of camp adjusting, and it wasn’t pretty. However, he bounced back on Tuesday with a near-perfect practice and continued trending up on Wednesday with another solid practice.
On the way to throwing no interceptions for the second day in a row, Lawrence also accounted for a handful of impressive throws and limited his mistakes. His most impressive, however, came when he squeezed a ball through a tight window to Gabe Davis over the middle of the field.
Trevor Lawrence just squeezed a ball in to Gabe Davis on an intermediate crossing route with three defenders closing in, including Andre Cisco.
Not a huge gain but one of Lawrence’s better throws of camp so far IMO. It was a dart.
— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall)
He also showed consistent touch on passes and frequently targeted the middle of the field, an area the Jaguars would love to see him target more often in 2024.
Maason Smith Makes His Mark
The Jaguars took defensive tackle Maason Smith in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft and Wednesday was his best practice yet. He didn’t record a sack but was frequently involved in the run game, blowing up a plethora of plays in 11-on-11. Simply, his presence was felt at the line of scrimmage every rep he got.
With Arik Armstead still on the PUP list, Smith’s ability to take advantage of the reps he’s given will be key in him earning a big role in the team’s rotation going forward.
Wide Receiver Battle Continues
The top of the receiving room is already solidified with Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and Brian Thomas Jr. as the team’s top three receivers, as demonstrated during camp. Devin Duvernay will also have a spot.
For Thomas, Wednesday was another quiet practice. After having his best two practices of camp on Monday and Tuesday, scoring touchdowns both days, he did not record a score or any major reception.
“I think we’ve seen from the day he got here he’s gotten better every single day, and that’s all we’re looking forward to. We don’t need him ready to play Week 1 today,” said offensive coordinator Press Taylor.
However, the back end of the Jaguars’ receiving room is filled with competition. UDFA rookie Joshua Cephus, second-year receivers Parker Washington and Elijah Cooks, and several others on the depth chart are vying for the last two to three roster spots at the position. As a result, the battles have been something to watch.
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Following practice, Taylor was asked about the competition among the group.
“Those guys are all doing a great job,” said Taylor. “It’s good to see Devin getting mixed in there. Seeing Parker, Elijah, Tim [Jones], Seth Williams, Cephus, all of these guys competing for spots… All of these guys just compete, and that’s all you want to see. We’re very intentional with what we are trying to do.”
On Wednesday, both Washington and Cooks made highlight-worthy catches in 1-on-1s. Washington went up and caught a pass over Christian Braswell. In Cooks’ case, the ball was late and behind him, but he still managed to haul it in. Additionally, Cooks climbed the ladder to catch a pass from Mac Jones in the back right corner of the end zone during 11-on-11s.
Injury Report
Despite some scares, the Jaguars are generally healthy right now. However, six players did not practice on Wednesday due to injuries:
- RB Keilan Robinson, Toe
- IOL Cooper Hodges, Back
- IOL Steven Jones, Calf
- DL Adam Gotsis, Stinger
- DL Jordan Jefferson, Ankle
- S Andrew Wingard, Knee
Wingard is the most notable, having suffered the injury on Tuesday.
Stock Up
- Tank Bigsby has continued to have a strong camp following a rough rookie season. After scoring two touchdowns on Tuesday, he started Wednesday with a big run and was very productive throughout the day. He also caught multiple passes out of the backfield, including an impressive over-the-shoulder grab in 7-on-7 drills.
- Braswell didn’t make the team in 2023, but he is making his case for 2024. While not perfect, he consistently forced incompletions and provided tight coverage. This isn’t the first time he’s flashed, having recorded an interception on Lawrence last week.
Stock Down
- Greg Junior is on the opposite side of the spectrum from Braswell. Having made the roster in 2023 as the team’s backup nickel, Junior has struggled mightily through camp, and Wednesday was no exception. In addition to allowing several catches, he was responsible for Cooks’ touchdown in 11-on-11 drills.
