The Jaguars’ first day of training camp didn’t deliver any earth-shaking revelations, but it did offer a pretty clear look at how this roster is being handled early on. The message from Wednesday was simple: young players are getting thrown into the mix fast, competition is real, and nothing is being handed out.
That showed up immediately at tight end. Jacksonville used two draft picks there, taking Nate Boerkircher in the second round and Tanner Koziol in the fifth, and both rookies were already working with Trevor Lawrence and the offense on Day 1.
They didn’t dominate the practice field or pile up catches, but the important part was the usage. The Jaguars weren’t easing them in with a slow rollout.
They wanted to see them now.
“I mean, it's also trying to put them in some positions that maybe are a little uncomfortable early on. Like putting them in some positions that, we got to go see what they can do, in terms of that.
Not that we know what Hunter [TE Hunter Long] and know what Quintin [TE Quintin Morris] can do. I think both those guys had good days as well, Hunter and Q.
We got to see what these guys can do, right?" Coen said.
"Against NFL competition, against a good defensive line, whether it's with the first group or the second group. So, it's something that I know the whole league, you know, is going to big personnel and all that. I mean, we're just kind of experimenting."
Linebacker is another spot where camp already looks like a real battle. Ventrell Miller entered as the most obvious candidate to replace Devin Lloyd after Lloyd left in free agency for a deal with the Carolina Panthers, but there’s no sense that the job belongs to him. Second-year linebacker Branson Combs is pushing hard, and he’s done it from the offseason program into the first day of camp.
Miller may have had the cleaner opening day after logging a tackle for loss in team drills, but Combs is very much in the conversation. Coen pointed to the traits that make him a legitimate contender.
“I think, first and foremost, his athleticism. His ability to defend the pass.
If you think about, like, how much teams are trying to expose linebackers in coverage. Obviously, we saw what Devin [Lloyd] was able to do for us in coverage a lot last year in terms of zone and vision and be able to create some turnovers with vision on the quarterback.
I think Branson innately does that," Coen said.
"He played, I think, wideout growing up and has played a lot of different positions. Safety, he's come down.
And so, I think athletically, he gives us something there. I think he's tough.
He's smart. He understands football, I think, and it's more so him just being able to get a ton of reps.
Like, every single rep that Branson gets, whether it's with the first group, the second group, doesn't matter. Those reps are important, and they're very beneficial to him.
So, he gives himself a chance, I think, with some of those things.”
The secondary also looked like a group with a much higher ceiling than the one that finished the season. Jacksonville’s last game ended with a quick Wild Card exit and a defense that couldn’t stop former MVP Josh Allen from making huge plays through the air. On Wednesday, the Jaguars had three important defensive backs on the field who weren’t there for that Buffalo loss: Travis Hunter, Jourdan Lewis and Caleb Ransaw.
That trio helped the defense make a few plays right away, combining for two pass breakups on the opening day of camp. Hunter, Lewis and Ransaw all bring upside, and the Jaguars have only really seen one of them with extended defensive reps so far. Even so, the group already looks like it could be in a much better place by Week 1 than it was when Jacksonville left EverBank Stadium in January.
There was also a familiar face back around the team in Zay Jones, who came in for a visit earlier this week and could be part of a reunion with Trevor Lawrence. Coen said the Jaguars wanted to get Jones in, meet with him and see where things stand.
"Get him in, see what he looks like, just meet him. I had, I never met Zay.
Really seems like a guy that's got his head on in terms of, like, being a pros pro, knows the league, knows Trevor, right?" Coen said.
"Knows this place. And I think he has a lot of appreciation for this place.
And, you know, we'll see how things progress, but it was really good to get to meet him."
Whether that turns into a signing is still up in the air, and it wouldn’t be a simple path for Jones to make the roster. CJ Williams and Josh Cameron have both made strong early impressions since being drafted, which makes the wide receiver room another spot worth watching as camp moves forward.
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