JACKSONVILLE – He's here and he knows it now.

That's a good feeling for Jarrian Jones – and the Jaguars' rookie cornerback said what's best about knowing he belongs in the NFL is knowing he's earning the feeling.

"You see with my confidence, every day I do believe I’m supposed to be here," he said.

Jones, a third-round selection by the Jaguars in the 2024 NFL Draft, spoke to the media following Day 14 Jaguars 2024 Training Camp practice Monday. While he has flashed and impressed throughout camp, Jones said early practices have been about learning and adapting to a far more advanced level of football than he faced at Florida State University.

"I'm learning a lot about myself, and some of the bad habits I had in college," he said. "The quarterbacks in this league are different than they were in college. Looking back at the quarterback after you've broken on the ball, those are some bad habits. The quarterbacks are actually putting the ball on the money now.

"I'm staying true to myself, sticking to what I've put the work in to be."

Added Jones, "I'm having a lot of fun. That's one thing I can say. I've made relationships with some guys that I think I'll have for the rest of my life."

Jones, who has worked extensively with the front-line players and starters through training camp, said that work – while testing him – also has given him confidence.

"It's going to come with growing pains," Jones said. "You come into a new situation, you play defensive back, somebody's probably going to catch a ball on you here and there. As long as you continue to learn from it, grow from it, come back and make your plays … my future is definitely turning up. As long as I just keep the work going every day, it's going to be a whole lot of fun."

And as he continues that process, there are memories to be made along the way. For Jones, one of the biggest came before the Jaguars' 26-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 preseason opener at EverBank Stadium this past Saturday.

"When I put my jersey on, I went to the mirror to make sure I wasn't dreaming, to make sure it was serious," he said. "I saw the 22, looked on the back and saw Jones, and it was like, 'OK, I'm actually in the NFL.' When I ran out, I saw all the fans and it was a surreal moment.

"That first play you go out and you're like, 'Oh, man: I'm really in the league.' After that first play it was like, 'Yeah, I belong here.' After that, it was just back to normal ball."

NOTABLE MOMENTS FROM JAGUARS TRAINING CAMP - DAY 14

• Pederson on Monday praised the development of running back Travis Etienne Jr. as a receiver. The fourth-year veteran caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence Saturday to give the Jaguars a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. "He definitely has the ability to line up in some empty formations or even routes out of the backfield, as we saw the other night," Pederson said. "He just continues to impress there. He has really good hands, catching the football, and we'll just keep developing that. He can definitely be an asset for us outside of the backfield."
• Pederson, too, praised the continued development of second-year running back Tank Bigsby. A third-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Bigsby on Saturday rushed for 28 yards on three carries and also had a 45-yard kickoff return. "He did a nice job – a nice job in the run game, protection," Pederson said. "He's just he's evolving, he's developing, he's improving every single day. He's one of those players, it means something to him. It means a lot to him, the way he practices and prepares, and he did nice job. He did a real nice job and now it's something to build on."
• Pederson on rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., the No. 23 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft who had a 41-yard reception Saturday: "We had some opportunities to get him the football. He did a nice job in the run game. Something we ask our receivers to do is to block. He obviously made that really good, tough third-down catch down the field. It was a good start for him, to really kind of sink in. I think he'll just continue to improve and learn from these games."