3 positive takeaways from Jaguars Mandatory Minicamp

1. The Jaguars are getting OLB Josh Allen back after missing OTAs.

Three players were missing for the Jaguars' first OTA practice, left tackle Cam Robinson, tight end Evan Engram and outside linebacker Josh Allen. Robinson showed up for the second session even though he's recovering from an injury he suffered near the end of the 2022 season and is expected to miss time for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. Engram got the franchise tag in March but hasn't signed it yet. Since he's not under contract, his absence from OTAs doesn't affect him.

Then, there's Allen, who is entering the fifth year of his rookie deal and might have skipped OTAs because he wants to get a new contract. Just recently, fellow 2019 draftee Ed Oliver just signed a multi-year extension. Other players drafted that year such as Quinnen Williams and Dexter Lawrence already inked long-term deals, so it's fair to think that Allen doesn't want to miss out on the fun.

By his own admission, Allen wasn't nearly as good as he could be last year, so he's been working out on his own to become the player the Jaguars expected when they drafted him seventh overall in 2019. The former Kentucky Wildcat told the media Monday that he's ready to take the next step next year.

Allen landed in Tier 3 of Pro Football Focus' list of top edge defenders ahead of the 2023 season. Although his 77 total pressures were tied for the sixth-most in the NFL last year, his 7.5 sacks ranked 43rd. While it's true that sacks aren't the only way to measure a pass rusher's success rate, the best ones usually post over 10 in a season.

The good news is that Allen is putting in the work to improve as a pass rusher and attending mandatory camp is one of the many steps he's taken in the right direction.