The Jacksonville Jaguars put pads on for the first time on Day 6 in training camp, and there were many interesting developments. You might recall that quarterback Trevor Lawrence and strong linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson struggled Monday. Both players got back on track and had a solid day of practice.
As great as Lawrence can potentially be, he’s going to have off days. He’s a rookie after all, and he showed Tuesday that he can recover from a bad day of practice. The Clemson product had a productive practice, per John Oehser of the team’s official website.
Even though the Jaguars’ coaching staff put an emphasis on the running game and special teams work, Lawrence still threw a 25-yard pass down the seam to wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., who has been one of his favorite targets throughout training camp. Oehser says that Lawrence also put enough touch on a 25-yard throw to sophomore wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr., who has also made several plays.
Jaguars defensive coordinator Darrell Bevell pointed out that “every day is a learning process” for Lawrence. He went on to say that the rookie’s less-than-optimal performance on Day 5 was understandable.
"This is where we wanted him to make those mistakes. We want him to learn. We want him to grow. We want to put him in the toughest situations possible and be able to see how he reacts right there at the moment – and then see how he’s able to bounce back the next day as well."
Chaisson also bounced back, according to Oehser. The second-year EDGE rusher beat offensive tackles Walker Little and Cam Robinson on one-on-one drills. Keep in mind that he’s been having a productive summer, and it looks like his struggles on Day 5 were the exception and not the norm. The former first-round pick is expected to have a breakout season in 2021 after finishing his rookie campaign strong.
Here are other observations and thoughts about Day 6 of Jaguars training camp.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could a formidable running back room.
The Jaguars threw a curveball at everyone when they took Travis Etienne with the 25th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. At the time, it felt like a reach, especially because running back wasn’t a pressing need and if they really wanted one, they could have waited until the later rounds to grab one. In retrospect, it was a good call, as E-T-N has had series of outstanding practices.
Etienne has broken off several runs throughout training camp, and has been unstoppable on one-on-one routes when covered by linebackers, per John Shipley of Jaguar Report. However, he isn’t the only Jaguars’ running back having a productive summer. Robinson has also looked faster, consistently wins individual reps, and has broken off several long runs, per Jamal St. Cyr of News4Jax. Shipley echoes that assessment and adds that he’s been solid as a receiver and in pass-blocking situations.
Even though the Jaguars are building the offense around quarterback Trevor Lawrence, they’re also going to run the ball a lot. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has always put an emphasis on the ground game, and he has two talented running backs to work with in Jacksonville.
It’s unclear how’s going to be the Jaguars’ lead back but it might not matter. Regardless of who is on the field, the Jaguars shouldn’t have trouble running the ball. Both Robinson and Etienne are capable backs and the coaching staff will try to get both the ball as much as possible.
The Jacksonville Jaguars got a couple of players back at practice.
Second-year cornerback C.J. Henderson hadn’t been able to partake in training camp practices because he was placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list. That changed Tuesday. He didn’t join his teammates but did conditioning work on the sidelines. Although he hasn’t been cleared to return yet, it’s an encouraging sign, as he’s missed several days and needs to make up ground.
On a similar note, the Jaguars announced that they have activated safety Jarrod Wilson and cornerback Chris Claybrooks from the COVID-19 list. The former landed on the list on August 2 and the latter was placed there on July 24.
It’s almost a given that Rayshawn Jenkins will start at one safety spot but it’s uncertain who will play next to him. Rudy Ford has had solid coverage plays, per Jamal St. Cyr, and rookie Andre Cisco has shown the athleticism that made him a ballhawk back at Syracuse.
Cisco and Ford, along with sophomore Daniel Thomas will vie for playing time. Wilson won’t give up the starting job without a fight but he will have to look over his shoulder if he doesn’t want to lose his spot in the lineup.
The same is true for Henderson. He may need to compete with veteran Sidney Jones and rookie Tyson Campbell for the starting job opposite Shaquill Griffin. You have probably heard that the most important ability in the NFL is availability and the 2020 first-round pick hasn’t been able to practice. On the bright side, he still has time to catch up and make a positive impression on the coaching staff.