Mac Jones and other early standouts from Jaguars mandatory minicamp

The Jacksonville Jaguars have begun mandatory minicamp. Plenty of veterans were excused but many more showed up. Among the most prominent attendees were outside linebacker Josh Allen and defensive tackle Arik Armstead, one of the team's biggest acquisitions in free agency.

All things considered, having Armstead and Allen show up made sense, as the Jags benefit from their experience and leadership. On the other hand, the coaching staff is taking advantage of the opportunity to assess the players who attended. These five made the most of their chance on the first day of minicamp.

Mac Jones is an early standout in Jaguars mandatory minicamp

The Jags traded for Mac Jones just before the start of free agency. When you take into account that they got a former Pro Bowl quarterback in exchange for a meager sixth-round selection, the move looks like a steal.

Granted, the former Alabama product has to rebuild his stock after getting benched several times the past two years. However, he also showed in his rookie season that he can play at a high level, completing 67.6 percent of his throws for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and a manageable 13 interceptions.

In Jacksonville, Jones won't be pressed into action. Instead, he'll compete with veteran C.J. Beathard for the backup job behind Trevor Lawrence. This is worth noting because Lawrence will get the bulk of the reps in practice but because Jones is the only quarterback who attended minicamp, he's getting all the snaps behind center. So far, he's made the most out of every single one of them.

Jones routinely found his targets, whether it was rookie Brian Thomas Jr. or veteran Gabe Davis. Here's one throw to the latter, via Zach Goodall of USA SPORTS Today.

Here's another one to sophomore wide receiver Parker Washington Jr., via Jamal St. Cyr of News4Jax.

Jones won't get many chances to practice in training camp, so it's good to see that he's wasting no time proving he'll be up to the task if called upon.

Cooper Hodges is an early standout in Jaguars mandatory minicamp

Versatility is the name of the game for players trying to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. The more you can do, the higher your chances of making the team will be. In the case of Cooper Hodges, the sophomore offensive lineman got reps at center on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp.

With Mitch Morse and Luke Fortner not showing up, the coaching staff is trying different combinations on the interior offensive line. Hodges, who has mostly lined at guard throughout his football career, was one of those players who got the nod.

Hodges missed his rookie season after suffering a patella injury in training camp. He said during Organized Team Activities that he was thrilled to be back on the football field, and it shows. The Appalachian State product will need to keep making an impression in training camp. However, he should feel good about his chances of seizing a spot in the 53-man roster.

Darnell Savage is an early standout in Jaguars mandatory minicamp

Speaking of versatility, the Jaguars got a movable chess piece when they signed former first-round pick Darnell Savage in free agency. Although he's mostly played safety throughout his career, he'll tentatively man the nickel position in 2024. Having said that, the coaching staff will most likely make use of his ability to line at different spots in the defensive backfield and deploy him in different ways.

Savage hadn't seen much action since joining the Jags in March because he was recovering from a rotator cuff injury he suffered late in the 2023 season. However, he was in attendance on Day 1 of mandatory camp and didn't pass up the chance to showcase his talent.

Looking back, signing Savage to a three-year worth $21 million looks like a sound investment.

Jarrian Jones is an early standout in Jaguars mandatory minicamp

At this point, you have to be rooting for Jarrian Jones to succeed. If you saw him take the field, you wouldn't probably guess that he was a third-round selection in this past draft. But that's how good he's been.

Mid-round picks are usually projected to spend time honing his skills before they can contribute but Jones could make an impact right off the bat. The Mississippi native stood out in rookie minicamp and picked up where he left off in Organized Team Activities. He says he's making the adjustment to the NFL and their rules, but that hasn't stopped him from being self-critical.

"Just learning. The NFL, they got a little bit different rules than college. Like you can only touch them a certain amount of yards, so just being able to critique my technique on how I'm going to do it now in the league, but it's been fun," Jones said via 1010 XL. "I have a standard for myself and upholding the standards for myself each and every day. Just be me. I don't come out and try to be nobody else. I come out and focus on what I gotta focus on be me."

That's the kind of mentality that will help him thrive in the pros.

Brian Thomas Jr. is an early standout in Jaguars mandatory minicamp

Being drafted in the first round comes with expectations. Rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has lived up to them. While he's yet to be pressed at the line of scrimmage, he stood out in rookie minicamp and later in Organized Team Activities. It hasn't been any different in mandatory camp.

Travis D. Holmes of SB Nation points out that Thomas showcased his ability to run all kinds of routes on Day 1 of minicamp.

There's still a long way to go before the regular season but Thomas has checked off all the boxes. He's routinely gotten praise from his coaches, his quarterback, and more recently, fellow rookie Jarrian Jones.

"That is great competition. BT and I had some battles in college, so we've seen each other before. We're great players, I believe I'm a great player and I believe he's a great player too," Thomas said about having to face Thomas in practice every day. "So he's gonna make plays. I'm also going to make mine. He made a play on me, it was one of those like, "Ah, good one". That was a good one."

You have probably heard that iron sharpens iron and that seems to be the case with Jones and Thomas. If they continue to help each other, the rookie receiver will be ready to roll come Week 1.

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