JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars 2021 Training Camp continued Saturday.
It was the ninth day of the team's first training camp under Head Coach Urban Meyer, featuring a padded practice at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex. Each day throughout camp, four members of Jaguars Media – senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton, team reporter Ashlyn Sullivan and senior reporter/editor J.P. Shadrick – will share an observation.
Here are Saturday's "campservations:"
Oehser…
We'll focus this "campservations" on the Jaguars' two first-round rookies. First, quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a nice showing Saturday in what essentially was the first of back-to-back scrimmage days. As passing-game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer made clear after practice, Lawrence is still in the process of absorbing the offense to the point where he can play instinctively – but he had multiple big-time throws Saturday, and he closed practice with a perfect down-the-seam touchdown pass to wide receiver Collin Johnson. Rookie running back Travis Etienne Jr. continues to do something notable in most practices, and his 15-yard cut-back touchdown run late in Saturday's practice showed yet again why the Jaguars think he can be an explosive element of this offense.
Sexton…
The joke for years has been about how good the Jaguars' punter is; he has had plenty of practice is the punchline, I suppose. But Jaguars punter Logan Cooke looks like a weapon with the way he is driving the ball – not only deep down the field but really, really high to allow the coverage unit extra time to get there. Even on a short field, his mortar kicks have been straight out of a "here's-how-you-do-it" video from YouTube. Hopefully he'll be recognized as a player who helps the defense by pinning the opponent deep, which in turn gives the offense the ball back in good field position. Did I mention his kickoffs also have been good this summer?
Shadrick …
Though the in-stadium scrimmage is scheduled for Sunday morning, Head Coach Urban Meyer decided to go full scrimmage Saturday morning to get a first run-through procedurally of a scrimmage scenario. Near the end of Saturday's practice, the defense won a red-zone situation that was likely slated to end practice. Meyer called the No. 1 offense onto the field again and set up a final scenario: inside 30 seconds, one timeout remaining, needing a touchdown. Lawrence needed one play: he threw a rocket down the middle into the end zone to Johnson for a touchdown, and Meyer sounded the horn for an end to the workday.
Sullivan …
If Johnson had something to prove, he proved it Saturday. Johnson, a fifth-round selection from Texas in the 2020 NFL Draft, was expected to be a big-time target at 6-feet-6 – and a safety blanket for the starting quarterback. He had a tougher week with some drops and it seemed Laquon Treadwell, Pharoh Cooper and Jamal Agnew were perhaps getting ahead. Saturday's practice was Johnson's best of camp. Practice ended with Johnson making a diving touchdown reception on a pass down the middle of the field from Lawrence. Johnson, who caught passes on three consecutive plays in Saturday's first team period, appears in the thick of the wide-receiver competition after Saturday.
