Jaguars OLB Travor Walker’s impact vs. Raiders, other observations

2. Jaguars vs. Raiders: Jacksonville must do a better job of stopping the run

Only a few starters suited up for the Jaguars in the Hall-of-Fame game, so it was unrealistic to expect a flawless performance against the Raiders. On offense, only right tackle Walker Little and center Rookie Fortner played with the first team, and they’re both competing for starting roles, so it wasn’t particularly shocking.

On defense, outside linebacker Travon Walker, cornerback Tyson Campbell, and defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton got the starting nod. Meanwhile, running back Josh Jacobs started for the Raiders and took advantage of the matchup. The Alabama product had five rushes for 30 yards but he wasn’t the only Las Vegas running back that had success toting the rock against the Jags.

Zamir White ran 11 times for 59 yards while Austin Waller had eight carries for 49 yards. All in all, the Raiders logged a combined 33 carries for 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Preseason or not, Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell isn’t surely pleased with his unit’s performance in the Hall of Fame game.

Again, the Jaguars were without many of their starters, and players such as rookie linebacker Chad Muma dip their toes in the NFL for the first time ever, so growing pains are expected. Having said that, the Jaguars had trouble stopping last year, and they surely don’t want to be in the same position in 2022, so they had better make sure they tighten things up upfront in the upcoming weeks.