While NFL rules allowed nine-season NFL veteran Jarvis Landry to participate in Jaguars rookie minicamp this month, three rising second-year players, including two who did not appear in a single game as a rookie, were unable to work out in the same setting this offseason with Jacksonville.
Still, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson is encouraged by the recoveries from injury of 2023 draft picks, linebacker Ventrell Miller (fourth round), cornerback Christian Braswell (sixth round) and offensive lineman Cooper Hodges (seventh round).
Each player ended their rookie campaign on the injured reserve, prohibiting them from taking part in camp between Friday and Saturday, although they have been active in other voluntary team activities.
“Because they’re on IR, they get a pension credit, so they can’t be a part of the rookie minicamp, which is kind of interesting,” Pederson said.
“All three of them have been able to work,” he added.
Of the three, only Braswell took the field for Jacksonville in 2023. He appeared in three games and logged nine snaps exclusively on special teams, before his season effectively ended in October when he suffered a hamstring injury.
Miller missed all of 2023 after rupturing his right Achilles tendon during the preseason. Hodges similarly was hurt before the season began, hindered by a patella injury that required surgery.
In April, Pederson noted that Miller and Hodges had made a strong enough impression last offseason that they were on track for playing time as rookies. He believes that, so long as each player is healthy, they’ll have an opportunity to contribute in year two.
“Ventrell’s doing extremely well. He’s healthy and he’s moving around really well. He’s competing and doing some really good things out there,” Pederson said. “Cooper and Christian, they’re doing really well. All three of those guys have really done a great job doing their rehab this offseason so far.”