The Jaguars’ rookie class took its first hit in Week 2, and the next step is all about how they answer it. Jacksonville had control of the game against Denver for stretches before the Broncos flipped it late and walked out with a 20-13 win after the Jaguars blew a 13-3 second-half lead. Now the focus shifts fast to New England, with head coach Liam Coen making clear Monday that the lesson for the younger players is to keep moving.
"The message, especially some of the younger players, rookies, is ‘hey guys, this isn't the college football playoff where you lose a game in Week 2, and you might not make it.’ We've got a lot of games ahead of us and we have a, really big opponent, quality opponent, coming into Jacksonville this weekend," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Monday.
Through two weeks, the rookie hierarchy is starting to take shape. Some players are carving out real roles, some are hanging around on special teams, and a few are simply waiting for their chance.
At the bottom of the board are the rookies who haven’t been able to get on the field. Fourth-round defensive end Wesley Williams was a healthy scratch for the second straight week, and the signs point to a long developmental year for the Duke product.
With undrafted rookie Bryan Thomas Jr. active instead after B.J. Green went on injured reserve, Williams is clearly buried for now.
Tanner Koziol is in the same boat. He was also inactive again, and the Jaguars’ lighter use of three-tight end packages against Denver meant fewer opportunities across the board. Quintin Morris is ahead of him on the depth chart, so Koziol’s path is tied directly to a role that just isn’t there yet.
Jalen Huskey has had the same problem. Jacksonville used fewer three-safety looks against the Broncos, and Ventrell Miller was on the field for 76% of the snaps.
Caleb Ransaw has taken the No. 3 safety job, while Rayuan Lane continues to matter on special teams. That leaves Huskey as a healthy scratch for the second week in a row, with little reason to think that changes soon.
CJ Williams was another rookie on the inactive list Sunday. Jacksonville dressed four full-time receivers instead, and with Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington rarely leaving the field, there simply hasn’t been much room for a rookie receiver to sneak into the rotation.
Bryan Thomas Jr. at least got his first NFL taste. The undrafted edge rusher played eight defensive snaps and nine on special teams in his debut after Green’s injury, and he didn’t record a pressure in a limited pass-rushing sample.
Even so, the matchup should get easier in Week 3 after facing one of the league’s best offensive lines in Week 2. He was still the No. 5 edge defender, counting Dennis Gardeck.
Albert Regis logged only six snaps against Denver, but his role could grow depending on DaVon Hamilton’s status after Hamilton left briefly with a back injury. Regis hasn’t produced a signature play yet, though he has held up and has actually been more effective as a pass rusher than some of the other defensive tackles when you account for his lower snap count.
Josh Cameron’s workload dipped after his big Week 1 debut, when he caught his first touchdown. In a tighter game, he played just 10 snaps against the Broncos, including three as a run blocker. He wasn’t targeted on his three routes, though it stood out that he ran more routes than Travis Hunter.
Nate Boerkircher has already settled into a clear role. The No. 56 pick has been heavily involved as a run blocker, and only seven of his 23 snaps Sunday came with him running a route.
He did catch a pass for nine yards, but that gain was wiped out by an offsides penalty on Denver. There’s still work to do as a blocker, but his snap count shows he’s earned steady trust.
The rookie who remains the most impactful is Emmanuel Pregnon, even after a rougher Sunday. Coming off a strong debut against Cleveland, the third-round guard ran into a tougher assignment in Broncos defensive tackle Zach Allen and allowed four pressures.
He still helped in the run game, and his overall body of work keeps him near the top of the class. Robert Hainsey praised the way Pregnon has handled the work.
“Eman has done a really good job. I know he's working hard.
He works harder than anyone I've seen, and he cares so much that his preparation is very good, and it's consistent. Everyone in this league, win, loss, every NFL player walked into their building today saying, ‘I need to get better at this.’
And Eman's no different," Jaguars center Robert Hainsey said on Monday. "So it's taking that tape, seeing the things you did well, because no matter what happens, there's always going to be things you did well and remembering those, taking the things you wish you did better, and emphasizing them this week in practice.
Like I said, the way he approaches his work is first class; I know he's going to respond.”
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Liam Coen said the team needs more production from the defensive tackle group, but also pointed to the depth behind it if Hamilton cannot handle a full workload. Rookie Albert Regis is among the players who could see more snaps in that case, and that is the kind of adjustment fans will be watching closely as the Jaguars try to keep the interior of the defense steady early in the season. [Read more 🡒]