4 critical observations from Jaguars preseason finale vs. Dolphins

Days before the preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins, head coach Liam Coen announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars would be resting their starters. All things considered, that was the right call.

To begin with, the starters had already gotten enough work in the first two preseason games, and it wouldn't have made sense to expose them to unnecessary injury risk. On top of that, the team's brass needs to put the final touches on the roster, and they had a chance to conclude their evaluations in the finale.

With that in mind, here are four critical observations from the Jags' 6-14 loss to the Miami in the finale.

The Jaguars gave Devin Lloyd plenty of time, what are they planning to do with him?

As noted above, the Jaguars were planning to rest the starters, and that was mostly the case, with one notable exception: Fourth-year linebacker Devin Lloyd.

Granted, you cannot rest everyone, but it's telling that Lloyd, who's expected to start in 2025, suited up against the Miami Dolphins. The Jags could've easily given all the playing time to rookies Jalen McLeod and Jack Kiser, and veteran Chad Muma.

It's also worth noting that Lloyd has gotten snaps on special teams. It may turn out to be nothing, but this is most definitely something worth monitoring in the upcoming days.

Related: 4 winners (and 1 loser) from the joint practice with the Dolphins

The Jaguars defense has made notable strides since the Steelers game

Liam Coen wasn't pleased with the defense in the preseason opener, and understandably so. The starting unit struggled despite the fact that they were going against the Pittsburgh Steelers backups. The new Jaguars head coach brougth up the lack of execution and how it would be a point of emphasis in the aftermath. Anthony Campanile's group has looked significantly better since then.

The Jaguars backup defense forced three-and-outs against the Dolphins starters in the first two drives. At one point, the Miami offense was averaging one yard per play. Eventually, the Phins ended up scoring two touchdowns, but by then, Jacksonville's third and fourth stringers were in.

The Jaguars are helping Maason Smith get up to speed

Another notable name that played in the finale was sophomore Maason Smith. However, his situation was a bit different from Devin Lloyd's. The second-year defensive tackle spent a good chunk of training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform List, missing valuable practice time along the way.

Smith eventually returned for the end of training camp, but head coach Liam Coen made it clear that he had his work cut out to get off to speed. For that reason, it was good to see the former LSU Tiger get a bit of time on the field against Miami, so he can get used to game speed again.

The Jaguars will need to look for outside help at wide receiver

The Jacksonville Jaguars are almost done putting together their receiver depth chart. Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter, Dyami Brown, Parker Washington, and Trenton Irwin are virtually locks to make the team. That said, their sixth spot remains up for grabs after the front office released sophomore Joshua Cephus.

The Jags already tried to trade for Devaughn Vele before the finale, and based on how things unfolded against the Dolphins, they'll probably turn to the waiver wire or try to acquire another receiver before the regular season.

Austin Trammell, who spent the 2024 season in the practice squad, was unremarkable, hauling in three receptions for 21 yards. Ditto undrafted rookie Dorian Singer, who only caught two receptions for seven yards. Heck, Irwin himself struggled.

The bottom line is that Jacksonville could easily hand the WR6 spot to someone who's already around, but to ensure they have the best possible depth and a well-rounded group in 2025, they'll need to continue looking.

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