The competition is heating up for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they recently finished their fourth Organized Team Activity (OTA) of the offseason.
Teams have the ability, now, to hit the practice fields and work through team drills consisting of 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 action. On Monday, the action gave coaches plenty to evaluate and showcased the team’s growing depth and talent.
This offseason centered around adding players to the back end of position groups, particularly in areas the team felt they were lacking last year. That means, while the team’s 22 starters are filled in with erasable ink at the moment, there is still plenty to churn through beyond that.
“It’s a good problem to have and the best will rise and play. But having depth and competition at every position was something that we were trying to do with the draft. I think ultimately you’re seeing guys practice harder and play harder and compete harder,” Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said shortly after OTA No. 4 on Monday.
The good problem stands out at safety.
In the room are veterans Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson, while younger players Caleb Ransaw, Rayuan Lane and rookie S Jalen Huskey man the backup roles. While Murray and Johnson are expected to be the two primary options at safety with Andrew Wingard no longer in the picture, Ransaw will likely see a lot of playing time this season.
Jacksonville invested a third-round pick in Huskey this offseason, giving him a solid inside chance at getting on the field this year. Still, Coen cautioned that thought process as everything starts with special teams.
“If they can only play defense or only do this one thing, it makes it a lot harder to get a hat on game day, unless you’re just sacking the quarterback or making a million plays on Sundays. Ultimately, your backups have to have special teams value,” Coen said.
“And I think that was something that we were trying to be intentional about as well throughout the draft. Hard to see how it’s shaking up now, but pleased with the depth and competition that it has created.”
Brian Thomas Jr. continues to shine after down year in fantasy football
So far, so good for one of the goats of last year, and not in a good way.
Brian Thomas Jr. had perceived and actual struggles during last year’s offseason and training camp. He was not on the same page with quarterback Trevor Lawrence on many occasions and it appeared as though the team didn’t exactly know where he fit as camp and the regular season went on.
Thomas’ issues primarily began in the hands department, struggling to hold onto the football due to what appeared to be concentration issues. This offseason, though? Thomas has looked exceptional in his role as a deep threat, consistently beating his man downfield. On Monday, Thomas scored on a double move against corner Jarrian Jones.
Thomas’ role with the team appears to be one of one as the fastest player on offense. While Parker Washington has downfield ability, Thomas’ speed sets him apart. The same goes for corner/receiver Travis Hunter when he gets back on the field.
Montaric ‘Buster’ Brown hauls in interception, secondary gets stronger
Jacksonville has planted its flag on CB Montaric Brown’s island after the team rewarded him with a long-term contract extension this offseason.
So far during OTAs, Brown has proven himself to be reliable, looking sticky in coverage on multiple occasions, including against Washington at times throughout the two media-attended practices.
One difference with Brown this offseason is it appears he’s added more muscle, which is something the team’s entire secondary worked on this offseason in an effort to get bigger at those positions.
Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile spoke about the changes shortly after practice on Monday, complimenting director of strength and conditioning coach Eric Ciano for his work in that department.
“What they did with some of these guys, their bodies from all the way from when we got here last year to where they’re at now. And you look at the DEXA [scan] and all the stuff that they’re talking about and their just general strength overall, our strength as a team, I feel like has improved, so I think some of that you see with the guys is actually visible now,” Campanile said.
“Especially with some of the DBs. You look at some of their pictures from early on last year to where they’re at now, because it’s a real strength program.”
Sleeper candidate? CB Jabbar Muhammad stands out
Speaking of corners, Jaguars second-year CB Jabbar Muhammad has been one of the team’s standouts thus far this offseason. Through two media-availability practices, Muhammad has made several plays on the football including a couple of pass breakups on Monday.
Muhammad is facing a tough challenge to get on the playing field with four players, including Brown, Hunter, Jourdan Lewis and Jones seemingly ahead of Muhammad at this point. Still, the battle for a fifth or sixth cornerback spot is up for grabs. Muhammad has seen work both inside and out thus far in his career in Jacksonville.
One plus for Muhammad, however, is that Jacksonville did not draft a corner this year, nor did they sign one in free agency. Instead, the team looks to propel Hunter into the starting lineup with Brown manning the other spot opposite him. Inside, the team believes in Lewis as a starting nickel, but Jones has made plenty of plays to increase competition.
Josh Hines-Allen returns: OTA No. 4 injuries, attendance updates
After missing the first OTA, Hines-Allen was back on the field Monday for OTA No. 4. Hines-Allen has, in the past, traveled to Arizona to workout, but has been in attendance for the team’s offseason workouts for the last two years.
One notable difference Monday was Jacksonville’s top pick, second round tight end Nate Boerkircher was seen working off to the side rather than practicing.
Only two players were not seen throughout the session: running backs Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Ameer Abdullah.
Jaguars OTA No. 4 non-participants:
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky at Demetrius.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars secondary, depth stands out in fourth OTA
Reporting by Demetrius Harvey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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