JAGUARS TRAINING CAMP DAY NINE RECAP

The Jaguars put the pads back on in preparation for their official team scrimmage. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

---

The Jaguars held their ninth practice of training camp on Saturday morning. With the official team scrimmage tomorrow morning, the Jaguars did a mock-scrimmage today with helmets and shoulder pads, featuring a ton of 11-on-11 work and plenty of special teams action. 

Several key members of the offense did not participate in the team portion of practice, including wide receivers DJ Chark, Marvin Jones, and Phillip Dorsett, left guard Andrew Norwell, and running back James Robinson. Tim Tebow also missed practice. 

Despite missing a good chunk of players on the offensive side of the ball, it was still a highly competitive practice, with Trevor Lawrence looking the part of a number one overall pick. Lawrence worked with the ones to start practice and out-repped Gardner Minshew by a wide margin in team work. I charted Lawrence at 18/25 with touchdown passes to Chris Manhertz, Laviska Shenault, and two to Collin Johnson. Lawrence looked poised and routinely fit the ball in between defenders where only his receiver could grab it. His ability to fit the ball in tight windows is second to none. Three or four of his incompletions should have been catches. He also showed off his ability to move the pocket and extend plays. He ended the practice with a strike to Collin Johnson in the end zone for a score. The Jaguars have yet to formally announce that Lawrence will start, but we're clearly moving in that direction with him receiving more of the work on Saturday. 

Gardner Minshew had his fair share of ups and downs on the day. He completed 12/19 passes with two touchdowns and an interception by Tre Herndon on his last pass of the day during a one-minute drill. His receivers dropped a couple of passes, but it was evident that Minshew wasn't operating at the same level as Lawrence. Minshew had a steady connection with Pharoh Cooper, completing several passes and one of his touchdowns to the veteran receiver. 

904 Snapback

Shop

Second-year receiver Collin Johnson had a big day with Chark and Jones out, catching 5/7 targets from Lawrence. He had one drop, but he displayed just how impactful he can be when given the opportunity. His frame, route running, spatial awareness, and deceptive speed were on display.

Rookie sixth-round receiver Jalen Camp found the endzone on a busted coverage early in practice. He beat everyone deep down the field, and Minshew found him for an easy score. Camp continues to make a strong argument for the active roster. 

Travis Etienne had a drop but made a couple of impressive grabs and continued to show off his speed to the edge and route-running savvy. 

On the defensive side of the ball, there was plenty to like. The run defense, particularly up the middle, was stout for the most part. Jay Tufele, Dawuane Smoot, Kenny Randall, Roy Robertson-Harris, Doug Costin, and Malcom Brown made it tough for runners to earn yards up the gut.

2020 first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson had a stand-out performance. On one play, he covered tight end Tyler Davis step for step down the sideline and made a diving pass break up. On the very next, he recorded a sack. He also had a batted pass at the line and was involved against the run. On punt coverage, he made a would-be tackle as the first man down the field. After defensive coordinator Joe Cullen said he wants to see improvement from Chaisson on Friday, the young pass rusher got the message and turned in a big performance. 

The Jaguars other 2020 first-rounder, cornerback CJ Henderson, participated in 11-on-11 for the first time this camp. After dealing with injuries and then COVID-19, Henderson is finally back. 

Shaquill Griffin recorded two pass breakups and brought plenty of energy on the defensive side of the ball, regularly hyping up his teammates and the crowd on hand. 

Middle linebacker Joe Schobert played the run well and also picked up a pass breakup with a big hit on Dare Ogunbowale in coverage. 

Rookie second-round pick Tyson Campbell would have had a pass break up and a potential interception, but there were offsetting penalties on the play. 

Speaking of penalties, there was a ton of yellow on the field Saturday. I counted at least a dozen total penalties throughout the practice session. Defensive lineman Adam Gotsis was called for two offsides penalties and found his way to the sideline quickly after the second. Linebacker Shaq Quarterman also picked up a pair of penalties in practice and got beat in zone coverage. 

The key figures on special teams had a strong day. Kicker Josh Lambo nailed 5/6 of field goal attempts, including one from 50+ yards. Punter Logan Cooke showed off his strong leg, but his coverage unit had difficulty keeping up. Punt returner Jamal Agnew just needs a bit of space — of which he was afforded on multiple occasions Saturday — to make a man miss and jet up the field. He's going to be fun to watch on special teams in 2021. 

Linebacker Dakota Allen limped off the field during practice and did not return. 

Up next: the official team scrimmage on Sunday.

Follow Jordan on Twitter