Mandatory Mini Camp This Week: What To Watch For

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This week will be the Jaguars first mandatory mini camp of 2016. Among the biggest pieces of news from the upcoming mini camp is the return of Myles Jack. 

By Jordan de Lugo - @jordandelugo

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The Jaguars will host mandatory minicamp this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The first two practices will be open to the public. These open practices on Tuesday and Wednesday will be from 9:35 am to 11:45 am at the Florida Blue Practice Field. There are plenty of exciting story lines for fans to watch for during this week of mini camp. 

Here's a few things to keep your eye on!

Myles Jack: Myles Jack will hit the field for the first time since rookie orientation due to a ridiculous NFL graduation policy. But he is back now and should be a full participant in minicamp. As most of you know Jack has game changing speed and coverage ability, two traits that show up easily with out pads on, so look for Jack to be really explosive and competitive. 

Yannick Ngakoue: Ngakoue will be the Jaguars second most important edge rusher in 2016, which is a big burden to carry for a third round pick, but its appears that the rookie from Maryland has the chops to do it. He is a physical specimen and while he lacks the ideal height of an edge rusher, the rest of the traits he boasts are rather impressive. He shows good explosion and could be a crowd favorite during the two open practices. 

Watch the O-Line: No, you can't learn much about how well an offensive or interior defensive lineman is playing by watching them in shorts, but more importantly you can see where they are playing. There are several players that will be seeing time at new positions. Brandon Linder, the teams best offensive lineman, will be playing at center instead of guard. Luke Joeckel will be getting reps at left guard and left tackle. And A.J. Cann has seen some time at right tackle this offseason. 

The Albino Tiger: Marqise Lee aka "The Albino Tiger" has finally been a healthy for an entire offseason and it's showing. He has been really impressive so far this offseason and will look to shine this week in front of the fans. The third year receiver has a skill set that no other receiver on the team possesses and part of that skill set is his game breaking speed -- look for that speed to be on display as Lee could be the primary target for Bortles during mini camp due to a lack of reps for the Allens. If Lee stays healthy in 2016, he could turn some heads.

Bortles and Thomas: Last year, prior to Thomas' injury, Bortles and Thomas showed impressive chemistry, which lead fans to believe that they would have a break out year together. Well, part of that was true, Bortles did have a true breakout year, but Thomas' 2015 season never really got on track. While he did catch 5 TD passes, Thomas and Bortles weren't always on the same page after Thomas returned from injury last year. Look for them to get back on the same page this offseason as Thomas could be in for a big 2016 campaign.

Have some fun! This will be the first time fans get to see their team in person this year and is sure to be a very exciting albeit hot couple of days. Make sure to dress for the heat and wear sunscreen! Go Jags!