JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One huge point of the offseason for the Jaguars has been to work on the deep ball.
Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. continue to build their rapport. Thomas is coming off an injury-marred and frustrating second season in the league. In the camp sessions open to the media thus far, that tandem has been connecting far more than they were last year. On Tuesday, Lawrence found Thomas over the middle of the field on a bullet. Thomas went up the ladder to reel in the pass, then turned up field and hit the speed.
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On another throw later in practice, Lawrence looked to Thomas in the end zone and led his receiver a tad too long. Thomas reeled in the deflected pass, albeit out of bounds, sliding to make the grab before skidding to the wall.
Jaguars minicamp content
Full interview: Safety Antonio Johnson
Full interview: Running back J’Mari Taylor
Full interview: Rookie quarterback Joey Aguilar
Minicamp day one: Answering questions from viewers
Sights and sounds from opening day of minicamp
“It’s been a huge point emphasis. I would say we’ve probably hit more of those in these OTAs and minicamp than we did all last offseason combined,” Coen said. “That’s being the spring and training camp. I would say we’ve probably hit more of those than last year combined, which is a good thing.”
Lawrence had an excellent first season under Coen and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, but he did it without a definitive No. 1 receiver. Thomas, the team’s first-round pick in 2024, was coming off a Pro Bowl season. But Thomas spent much of that year catching passes from Mac Jones while Lawrence battled an assortment of injuries and went down for the year after surgery on his left shoulder.
Thomas never looked comfortable last year. He was banged up in training camp and missed time with wrist and shoulder injuries. That led Jacksonville to make a deadline deal for Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers and add more responsibilities to third-year player Parker Washington. In the offseason this year, Thomas has looked crisp, explosive and healthy.
“That chemistry with those two is so important because if we can be explosive with those down the field routes, being able to push the ball down the field with those two specifically, well man, now it truly unlocks what everybody else can do,” Coen said. “Not only just what he and B.T. are able to do, it helps [TE] Brenton Strange, it helps Parker Washington, it helps Jakobi Meyers and it helps the run game.”
Notebook
- The defensive standout of the day was absolutely Jabbar Muhammad. He spent last year on the Jaguars practice squad. Muhammad was all over the field. He had a PBU and an interception on the day. There is likely space in that cornerback room for a young guy like Muhammad to earn a spot on the 53 if he can keep stacking days like this one.
- Brian Thomas Jr. had another good day of practice, including a head-top type catch down the field. But even with the day BTJ had, I think the rookie receivers stole the show. CJ Williams, Josh Cameron, and Trebor Pena all had their moments. For Cameron, this was his first day for full practice, and he was impressive. Cameron made one really nice catch down the field that let him show just how physical of a player he is. I really like what I have seen from Williams and Cameron so far.
- The linebacker battle is going to be really interesting to watch. Branson Combs isn’t a name that is getting talked about much, but I wouldn’t sleep on him. Combs snuck onto the roster last year as a UDFA. Now, Combs has a shot at earning a job. He had a diving PBU during one of the team sessions. If Combs can keep making plays, he will make the decision at linebacker a tough one.
- Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., signed as the lone outside free agent in the offseason, has been absent from on-field work. Reports circulated that Rodriguez had surgery on his left foot, and Coen said Tuesday that he planned on the back to return next month. “I know Chris will be a full go come training camp,” Coen said.
- Arik Armstead had himself a nice day. Take it with a grain of salt. There are no pads, so the trenches are tough to judge, but Armstead applied a ton of pressure on the field. Another guy that flashed in a similar way was rookie Zach Durfee.
- The wrinkles on defense seem to be endless. Last season, we saw glimpses of a three-safety look and Travon Walker lining up next to Josh Hines-Allen. Those late-season wrinkles are things that keep popping up on the practice field.
- Is there space for three tight ends to make plays on the Jaguars offense? Because Tanner Koziol might be a guy that is tough to keep off the field. In college, he was an extremely productive receiver. The question was, how those skills translate? So far, it looks like they will. Koziol went up and snatched a touchdown catch from over the defenders’ head towards the end of practice. He looks comfortable in those situations, and that is a skillset that is valuable and will be tough to keep off the field.