The Jaguars’ defense owned Day 6 of training camp, and there was no mistaking the tone at the Miller Electric Center. Jacksonville’s offense never found a rhythm, Trevor Lawrence and the passing game stalled repeatedly, and the gap between the two sides felt as wide as it has all summer.
It started to go sideways quickly for the offense. The Jaguars struggled to connect on throws down the field no matter who was targeted, and even the two times a receiver came away with the ball in the end zone didn’t count as touchdowns.
Lawrence scrambled for several seconds on one snap before firing a touchdown to Brian Thomas Jr., but the whistle had already blown and the defense got credit for the rep. Later, Lawrence found Thomas in the end zone again, only for Thomas to be forced out before getting both feet down.
The turnovers piled up too. Lawrence was picked off once by Antonio Johnson, though the play likely would have ended in a Travon Walker sack in a real game.
Then the starting secondary kept rolling against backup quarterback Nick Mullens, with Eric Murray and Jarrian Jones each coming down with interceptions. The ground game didn’t offer much help either, and a Parker Washington drop only added to a rough day for the offense.
On the other side, Anthony Campanile’s defense kept making life difficult, and the linebacker competition remains one of the more interesting battles as the Jaguars move into their first padded work. Campanile said the race is still tight, and both Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs have kept showing up. Miller has stood out against the run, including a tackle for loss on Monday, while Combs has continued to flash in coverage.
That coverage ability has become Combs’ calling card. The former undrafted free agent has been making plays against the pass throughout the offseason and into camp, and Tuesday may have been his strongest showing yet. He helped force an incompletion by staying with Parker Washington more than 25 yards downfield, then later broke up a DeeJay Dallas pass in red-zone work, setting off the defensive sideline.
The linebacker battle still looks far from settled. Combs may have a slight edge because of what he’s done in coverage, but the sense around camp is that this one could go down to the wire, much like the Jaguars’ decision a year ago with Miller and Devin Lloyd. Right now, it’s too close to call.
If the offense had any real bright spots, they came from the rookie receiver pair of Josh Cameron and CJ Williams. It was a tough day to hand out praise on that side of the ball, but those two kept stacking plays while most of the passing game sputtered.
Williams turned in the catch of the day, and one of the best grabs of camp so far. Cameron also held his own, including one catch with Montaric Brown draped over him, one of the few times a receiver won at the point of attack. On a day when the offense was short on highlights, the rookies supplied the best of them.
Another rookie who keeps popping is defensive end Zach Durfee. The seventh-round pick has been showing up in the notes every day with the pressure he’s creating, and Tuesday was no different. He worked his way into another would-be sack of Lawrence and continued to give offensive linemen problems in team drills.
Durfee has plenty of competition for snaps at defensive end, but the early signs are encouraging. If he can provide real pass-rushing value as a rookie, the Jaguars may have uncovered another useful piece without spending premium draft capital.
And the play everyone will keep talking about came in red-zone drills. Officials ruled a diving CJ Williams catch a touchdown after he went airborne near the corner of the end zone and beat Corey Ballentine in coverage. It was one of the most impressive catches the Jaguars have had in camp so far, and another reminder that Williams has been steady since being drafted in April.
In Other News...
Jaguars Camp Is Starting To Reveal Two Important Offensive Answers
The Jaguars shorter practice Thursday offered a little more clarity on an offense that has been sorting through plenty of moving parts in camp. Trevor Lawrence was sharper with his accuracy, which is the sort of encouraging sign Jacksonville wants to see as the quarterback settles into the offense, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. continued to make his case in short-yardage work. The coaching staff also kept mixing and matching along the offensive line, especially on the right side, where jobs are still being sorted out.
Ventrell Miller added a defensive highlight by forcing and recovering a fumble, but the more interesting takeaway for Jacksonville may be how the offense is starting to answer a few important questions. Camp has a way of turning competition into clues, and the Jaguars are still balancing line combinations with the need for a reliable power option near the goal line. For now, Thursday felt like one of those practices where the shape of the offense is coming into focus, even if the final picture is not there yet. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Camp Battles Are Already Turning Up Tough Roster Decisions
After the first week of training camp practices, the Jaguars are already staring at some uncomfortable roster math. A cluster of familiar names has surfaced on the bubble at several spots, from running back Abdullah and receivers Austin Trammell and Tim Jones to tight ends Quintin Morris and Hunter Long, along with offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, defensive lineman Matt Dickerson and cornerbacks Preston Hodge and Devon Marshall.
The pressure is no lighter on defense, where Jalen McLeod, Yasir Abdullah and Parker Hughes are all in the mix at linebacker, and the staff still has room to sort out how it wants to trim the depth chart. Jacksonville has more practices and preseason games left to sort through those calls, but early camp has already made clear that a few of these competitions could come down to the wire. [Read more 🡒]
Parker Washington Is Forcing A Big Jaguars Decision This Season
Parker Washington has spent three seasons quietly building his case in Jacksonville, and this fall he has turned into one of the more important pieces on the field. His production has climbed every year, and in a receiver room that has seen plenty of shuffling, he has become a steady presence for Trevor Lawrence while the Jaguars go through their practice work with players like Anton Harrison and Zach Durfee in the mix.
Washington also knows what kind of market the position has become, even if he says his focus stays on playing well. For the Jaguars, that creates an obvious next question as the season moves along: whether this late rise is enough to make him part of the long-term plan, or whether they will be forced to make a tougher call once the year is over. [Read more 🡒]