The Jacksonville Jaguars should be hyped up about their rookie receivers. Josh Cameron had been recovering from a calf injury he suffered during the pre-draft process, but it didn't take him long to make a strong impression, hauling in several highlight-reel-worthy catches on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp. However, he wasn't the only first-year receiver who stood out.
CJ Williams stole the spotlight at Organized Team Activities, and his encouraging performance has carried over to minicamp. Not surprisingly, head coach Liam Coen heaped praise on him.
CJ Williams has yet another strong performance at Jaguars minicamp
Liam Coen met with the local media on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp. He appeared to be pleased with CJ Williams, pointing out that he's wasted no time making plays.
"I think he leads the team in receptions right now," Coen responded when asked about Williams (3:08 mark). "Now he's getting a lot of reps mixing in with a couple different groups, but you talk about what's the job for receivers to get open and catch the ball, and he just kind of does that. It's not necessarily flashy or some big splash move or play; I think the quarterbacks trust him, he's smart, knows his job."
Coen made a crucial remark: It's not just about making jaw-dropping plays but also about building consistency and becoming someone your quarterback can trust. Based on his remarks, though, it looks like Williams already checked off those boxes. On the other hand, things are about to get a bit tougher.
In this phase of the offseason program, Williams has yet to practice with pads, and he'll need to prove that he can still make plays against coverage when he knows he can be tackled. Then again, he's done enough thus far to make you think that his promising outing will carry over into training camp.
CJ Williams needs to build off his strong outing at Jaguars minicamp
The truth is that it's encouraging to hear that CJ Williams is already garnering interest despite the fact that he was a Day 3 selection. Heck, at this point, the question may not be whether Williams will earn a roster spot but rather what kind of role he'll have next season.
Based on how the Stanford Cardinal has fared so far, he may end up being WR4 on the depth chart behind Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Parker Washington (Travis Hunter will probably be listed as a corner since he'll spend more time on that side of the ball).
When you take into account that tight ends Brenton Strange and Nate Boerkircher will also get plenty of targets their way, Williams could be the fifth or sixth option in the passing game. That's why it's pivotal for him to also contribute on special teams. The more he can help, the more playing time he'll get.
Of course, Williams still has his work cut out for him. There's still a long way to go before the regular season, so he'll have to prove that he deserves a roster spot over veterans Tim Jones and Austin Trammell.
Having said that, CJ Williams has done everything the team has asked him to do and then some. If he continues to do that, you'll keep hearing his name when the regular season comes closer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google