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Updates from Week 4
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence has looked “more decisive, more confident, and more accurate than we saw last year” – these were the words that NFL analyst Bucky Brooks used to describe Lawrence’s training camp this off-season. Lawrence has reportedly cut down on turnovers and improved his efficiency, but the Jaguars still haven’t been able to muster up too many points in the preseason. Lawrence hasn’t wowed anyone with his numbers on the field: 20-of-33 (66%) for 228 yards and one touchdown. He did not participate in the final preseason game for obvious reasons – his starting spot is fully guaranteed. The numbers that make a big difference but haven’t shown up in the stat sheet: 1 sack and 0 interceptions. Lawrence has been successfully protecting the ball and looking more accurate – now those attributes just need to turn into points. The Jacksonville offense has averaged 12.7 points scored across their four preseason games. Obviously, preseason isn’t necessarily a reflection of the regular season. Still, if Lawrence and the Jags can’t turn these improvements into points, we could all be in for another long season.
Running Backs
If Trevor Lawrence is looking to avoid sacks and remain efficient, he will likely be looking for Travis Etienne. Etienne has gone through weeks of full contact and very limited game action. In the two contests he did play in, he totaled just 52 rushing yards on 17 carries. It was expected that Etienne might have a slow return to action, but without James Robinson in the mix, Etienne may need to carry a big load early in the season. Robinson still has not been given clearance for full contact, but he has been allowed to participate in team drills and non-contact activities. If Robinson sees any action in week one, it's likely to be very limited. Fantasy managers should temper their expectations for Robinson in the first half of the season and maybe for all of 2022. It’s yet to be seen if Etienne will be able to handle a load of a workhorse back, but it seems like he’ll get every opportunity to handle the majority of the Jaguars' touches out of the backfield.
Wide Receivers
Christian Kirk is still the guy amongst the WRs. He was the top target against the Falcons in joint practices, scoring three touchdowns in one practice. Kirk is established as Lawrence’s top target and should be treated as such in fantasy drafts. He’s been lining up all over the field – at the X, Z, & slot and should be in line for the most productive season of his career. He’s an excellent value at his current average draft position (ADP: WR36). Marvin Jones Jrand Zay Jones are dart throws late in drafts, but both can be utilized in best ball formats as touchdown-dependent deep threats. Zay Jones is a bargain at an ADP of WR81 in PPR formats.
Tight Ends
The player to roster from this group is Evan Engram. He started off camp hot and cold, with drops and touchdowns, but as the weeks have gone, on the hype train has gained steam. Engram has had chemistry with Lawrence throughout camp, and it’s no secret that tight ends produce in Doug Pederson’s offense. Engram appears to be “one of the focal points” of the Jaguars' offense. Backup Dan Arnold is still set to see plenty of action in two-tight end sets, but he can’t be counted on as a fantasy asset unless Engram suffers an injury.
Kickers
The Jaguars' revolving door of kickers brought them Jake Verity, the fresh loser of the kicker battle in Indianapolis, and James McCourt, claimed from the Chargers after the team decided they didn’t need the UDFA out of Illinois so they could get Dustin Hopkins ready for the regular season. McCourt made two kicks, including a 54-yarder, while Verity missed his only kick in the preseason finale, so unless the Jaguars add their sixth kicker of the offseason, McCourt will be the starter in Week 1 against Washington.
Defense
From a fantasy standpoint, it will be very difficult to count on the Jaguars' defense to provide any value. They seem to have some young up-and-coming players in Andre Cisco, Tyson Campbell, Devin Lloyd, and Travon Walker – but nothing has been proven on the field yet. The defensive line and secondary will be the strongest points of this team – the secondary allowed the 17th-most passing yards in the league, which puts them right in the middle of the road. The defensive struggles came from the inability to create turnovers and stop the run – which is still a big question mark going into 2022.
Returners
A hip injury ended Jamal Agnew's season early last year, but the return specialist's recovery has progressed well. He's all set to resume his typical role for the start of the season.
Updates from Week 3
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence continued to look good in game-action, as he had some very impressive throws against the Steelers secondary. Lawrence went 14-of-21 for 133 yards and led three drives that ended in field goal attempts. While field goals aren’t exactly anything to get excited about, Lawrence does seem poised to take a big step forward. The Steelers defense was a tough opponent; overall, the offensive line struggled against the pass rush. In his last two appearances, Lawrence has combined for 20-of-33 for 228 yards and a touchdown. If anything, this should be a fun team to root for and an offense that could make some noise in fantasy with pass catchers like Travis Etienne and Christian Kirk. Backup quarterback C.J. Beathard led a touchdown drive against Pittsburgh that ended with him punching it in on a four-yard scramble. He’s not in any serious consideration for the starting job but could be thrust into a decent fantasy situation if Lawrence is to miss any time due to injury.
Running Backs
Travis Etienne looked solid against a stout Pittsburgh Steelers defense, but he wasn’t overly impressive. He’s clearly the top running back in the rotation that should see usage from James Robinson and rookie Snoop Conner. Conner was utilized at the goal line once the Jaguars reached the endzone, but his performance was unimpressive - 7 attempts for 19 yards. The Jaguars run game, overall, wasn’t great – 30 attempts for 97 yards (3.2 yards per carry). Robinson is still working back from his torn Achilles, and the team is hopeful that he will be ready for week 1. Head Coach Doug Pederson discussed Robinson’s return to action: “I don’t think you go full steam ahead. I think you gradually increase his reps,” Pederson said. “You don’t want to stress his body [in practice], but at the same time, he needs to get enough work where he’s possibly ready to go for Washington if that’s the case."
Wide Receivers
Christian Kirk got paid like a top wide receiver this off-season, and he’s being utilized like one. He’s become Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target in practice and the top target for Lawrence in preseason action against the Steelers. Kirk caught 5-of-8 targets (38% target share) for 54 yards – two of those receptions were on crucial third-down conversions. Kirk played 83% of the wide receiver snaps with the first-team offense – the Jaguars look poised to get their money’s worth out of Kirk. On the other side of the spectrum, it looks like time could be running out on Laviska Shenault. Shenault muffed a punt return in the Steelers game and has been used sparingly in the offense – he caught one pass for six yards and no rushing work. The Jaguars seem to be exhausting all options with Shenault, and the door isn’t totally closed on him just yet. Shenault appears to be competing for the WR4 spot on the roster with Laquon Treadwell, while Jamal Agnew likely gets retained as a return specialist and gadget receiver in the fifth spot. The Jaguars could (and probably should) keep six active WRs – if that is the case, expect Shenault to make the roster without a problem.
Tight Ends
Starter Evan Engram caught his lone target for two yards and not much else. Dan Arnold got involved as well, as he played a little deeper into the game and came up with two receptions on three targets for 22 yards – including an 18-yard reception from Beathard to close out the third quarter. Arnold seems like he’ll remain involved with the offense, as the game plan is expected to implement a lot of 2-TE sets. The offense is expected to use a combination of Engram, Arnold, and a few others as “chess pieces” in the offense that will be able to line up all over the field and not just as one-dimensional guys that only play in-line and catch passes underneath.
Kickers
The Jaguars waived Elliott Fry with an injury settlement, but Doug Pederson said, “we need to see more” from Ryan Santoso, so this kicker job isn’t truly settled. Santoso went 2-for-4 in the loss to the Steelers, missing from 51 and 57. The kick from 57 was a potential game-winner as time was running out. The reports from practice on Santoso were positive leading up to the game but look for the Jaguars to bring in another kicker, or at least be very interested in losers of kicker battles elsewhere around the league.
Defense
In a surprising move, the Jaguars released defensive tackle Malcolm Brown last week. Brown started all 17 games for Jacksonville in 2021. This was likely due to the emergence of young guys DaVon Hamilton and Jay Tufele along the defensive front. The secondary for Jacksonville is starting to shape up, and most of that success can be attributed to Tyson Campbell. Campbell has had some excellent days in camp where he’s been able to frustrate his quarterback and create plays for the defense. Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell took notice of the improvements by Campbell. When asked about his ability to match up with bigger receivers, Caldwell said: "You see the versatility he's able to play outside, play inside, big receiver, small receiver. He can really cover any type of receiver he needs to, but right now, we'll just focus on letting him play left and right, and then if we need to we can have him travel.”
Offensive Line
Right guard Brandon Scherff looked nasty against the Cleveland Browns in Preseason Week 1, opening huge holes in the running game. Scherff is not only the Jaguars' best lineman, and he might be their best player on the entire roster. Left tackle Cam Robinson signed a new contract in the offseason and came in excellent shape, dominating one-on-ones. But the rest of the group is somewhat average, which holds down the Jaguars' overall grade.
Updates from Week 2
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence is "taking the next step" in training camp. After last Wednesday’s practice, Lawrence’s passing numbers looked really good: 149-of-209 with 18 TDs and only 2 turnover-worthy throws.
Running Backs
Travis Etienne was happy to begin taking hits, saying, ‘I got reminded quickly it’s a physical game’. James Robinson still hasn't participated in full-speed team drills.
Wide Receivers
Christian Kirk and Zay Jones were the stars of camp on day 10. Kirk has quickly become one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets, scoring touchdowns in 7-on-7 drills and one-on-ones.
Tight Ends
Evan Engram gave fantasy managers and Jaguars fans alike a glimmer of hope last week. He scored a 9-yard touchdown on a play-action rollout pass from Trevor Lawrence. It’s been reported that the Engram-Lawrence connection has been strong in camp, despite earlier reports of drop issues.
Kickers
The kicker competition between Ryan Santoso and Elliott Fry isn’t much clearer after the Jaguars played their second preseason game. Both kickers made their field goal attempts, Fry from 23 and Santoso from 38, and Fry added a successful extra point attempt. During the field goal period in the August 10 practice, Fry made all five of his attempts, while Santoso went 4-for-5. On August 8, Fry went 3-for-4, while Santoso went 4-for-4. Special teams coordinator Heath Farwell called the competition a “dead heat” going into the game with the Browns.
Defense
Safety, Andre Cisco has had a very strong camp and that continued this week. Cisco has put up back-to-back great practices and has routinely broken up plays to the tight ends in camp.
Returners
A hip injury ended Jamal Agnew's season early last year, but the return specialist's recovery has been progressing well and he's all set to resume his typical role for the start of the season.
Updates from Week 1
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence is lights out in scrimmages through the opening week of camp. On Day 2, he was 18-of-18 in what was deemed his best practice as a Jaguar. In Doug Pederson’s offense, Lawrence expects to take a big leap forward in his second season. Those big expectations are largely due to the new weapons acquired in the offseason. So far, Lawrence is showing a connection with his new teammates, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. Lawrence did not play in the Hall of Fame game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he is in line to start in the Jaguars' next preseason game.
Running Backs
Travis Etienne looks “in better shape than I thought he was in our last year at Clemson,” according to his teammate Trevor Lawrence. It’s not uncommon to hear that a player is in the best shape of his life during the off-season, but Etienne’s hype seems different. Etienne is getting praised nearly every day, including day 1 of the live padded practices, and he is proving to be a standout skill player in the early going. Surprisingly enough, James Robinson did not start camp on the PUP list. He was seen active and doing drills on the side. However, the team still plans to take it slow with Robinson as he recovers from a torn Achilles. Rookie running back Snoop Conner also impressed coaches and appears to be taking over the third spot on the depth chart. He’s a name to keep an eye on if Robinson cannot start the season.
Wide Receivers
There are no surprises on the wide receiver depth chart. Marvin Jones and Zay Jones will man the outside roles, and Christian Kirk will operate out of the slot. Meanwhile, Laviska Shenault is shaping up to be a depth piece that can help the team in the kick return game, according to head coach Doug Pederson. Zay Jones is the new starting X-Receiver, but he’s not the most targeted player in camp. That title goes to Christian Kirk for now. Kirk is all over the field but primarily used on quick routes and underneath crossers to get him the ball early and in space.
Tight Ends
Evan Engram is having an uneven camp so far. Engram registered the catch of the camp on one day and then suffered from drops the next day. As of now, Engram is one of the three most-targeted players in camp. Engram is the clear starter over Dan Arnold, so it seems that the Jaguars are ready to roll with Engram as their guy in the middle in Week 1.
Kickers
The kicker competition between Ryan Santoso and Andrew Mevis got off to a slow start in July, with Santoso going 3-of-4 and Mevis 2-of-4. All the misses came from 47 yards. Mevis got wilder from there and missed three kicks during warmups, including one that hit former Cowboys head coach Dave Campo. The Jaguars released Mevis and signed Elliott Fry on July 29. On July 31, both kickers went 2-of-4 but improved to 4-of-4 on August 2.
Defense
Josh Allen looks dominant along the defensive front. Not only winning in one-on-one drills but also making plays during the padded scrimmage. KLavon Chaisson is showing flashes in team drills and should make for a nice pass-rushing trio between him, Allen, and number one overall selection, Travon Walker. Defensive backs Shaquill Griffin, Rayshawn Jenkins, and Andrew Wingard routinely make stops against the run and cause turnovers.
