The Jacksonville Jaguars’ rookies and veterans have now both arrived for training camp, and the team’s first practice will take place on July 23rd.
So with training camp essentially here, we are taking a position-by-position look at the Jaguars’ roster, specifically examining the one big question that faces each unit.
Up next are the cornerbacks. If you missed any of our other previews, you can find them below.
How much time does Travis Hunter spend at cornerback during training camp practices?
As was the plan from the start, the bulk of Hunter’s practice time during offseason programs was at wide receiver. As GM James Gladstone said, the team views cornerback as his more natural position.
But now the next step in Hunter’s progression will be routinely practicing on both sides of the ball during the same practice. For most of OTAs and minicamp, Hunter was either playing offense or defense on a given day, and rarely both.
“That’s definitely what we have to build towards for training camp, and then obviously in season, knowing that during practice, he’s going to have to do both,” Liam Coen said via ESPN. “He wants to do it. It’s not as if it’s something he can’t handle. He wants to go and do that more. He wants more, and that’s a good thing. But ultimately, we also have to protect him from himself at times as well, and make sure we get out of this phase healthy, but that is absolutely the plan moving forward.”
Now, how exactly the Jaguars plan to go about dividing up that playing time remains to be seen.
Who earns the starting job opposite of Tyson Campbell?
The starting cornerback role opposite of Tyson Campbell is up for grabs. According to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Montaric Brown saw a lot of playing time with the first team defense during offseason programs.
“That’s who he’s been every day that I’ve been here,” Anthony Campanile said of Brown’s ball production. “And I can only go by what I see every day that I’m out here, he competes. He loves to compete.
“Same thing like Tyson, whether it’s on the line of scrimmage, he’s not afraid to challenge people. To challenge people at the top of the route and play with technique, but whatever he’s gotta do to strain and make the play, he’s been doing that, which is awesome. That’s what we’ve been preaching and he’s doing that every day.”
Jarrian Jones, meanwhile, has taken some time to acclimate to Anthony Campanile’s zone-heavy defensive scheme. And circling back to the first question, how increased playing time at cornerback for Hunter impacts the reps at that position this summer is an unknown right now.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2 Big questions for Travis Hunter, other Jacksonville Jaguars’ CBs in training camp
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
