Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars

LSU in the NFL: Projecting K’Lavon Chaisson’s 2020 stats with the Jacksonville Jaguars

K’Lavon Chaisson was the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and could record a solid rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Former LSU star K’Lavon Chaisson quickly became a household name during his time in Baton Rouge.

His stellar career with the Tigers landed him as the 20th overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL draft.

The decision for the Jaguars to draft Chaisson was an easy one. The team needed defensive help, and he can play both linebacker and on the edge of the defensive line.

Jacksonville lost a couple of their defensive players from last season and are looking to the former Tigers defensive star to fill the void.

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In 2019, during LSU’s national championship run, Chaisson recorded 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks which led the team, 13.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. He also had a forced fumble while being named a First Team All-SEC selection.

In the College Football Playoff, he was named Peach Bowl MVP after recording six tackles and two sacks against Oklahoma. In the championship against Clemson, he totaled two tackles.

Looking ahead to his rookie season, Chaisson is a do-it-all player for the Jaguars defense. His ability to line up at multiple spots on the field make him an immediate threat to opposing offenses.

His first season in the NFL could be a good one from a production standpoint. Expect him to have 40-55 tackles on the season with anywhere from 5-10 sacks and at least one interception.

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He will start immediately, but the main question is at which position. It is likely that the Jaguars put him at linebacker and use him on the edge in certain schemes, just like he was utilized at LSU.

It will be interesting to see how well Chaisson performs for a Jacksonville defense that lost key players from last season.

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Jags to hold LB Dakota Allen, safety Daniel Thomas out of Tuesday’s practice for injuries

The Jags added to players to their list of players to sit out of practice Tuesday in LB Dakota Allen and safety Daniel Thomas.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they would be having two additional players missing Tuesday’s practice session. Those two players were linebacker Dakota Allen and safety Daniel Thomas due to hip and hamstring injuries, respectively.

The Jags also announced that Taven Bryan (knee bruise), Dede Westbrook (shoulder), and Quincy Williams (core muscle) would continue to miss time, too.

Allen, 24, was a player who many expected to see more snaps with Williams out, however, it will be up to someone else to step up as a reserve weak-side linebacker behind Myles Jack. Some potential candidates to do that could be second-year linebacker Joe Giles-Harris or undrafted rookie Nate Evans.

Thomas, 22, was drafted by the Jags in the fifth-round of April’s draft out of Auburn. Some (including us) thought it was a possibility he could’ve pushed for a starting role, however, his injury is one that could hinder that. Still, even if he misses significant time, the Jags have depth at safety behind starters Ronnie Harrison and Jarrod Wilson as Andrew Wingard, Josh Jones, and J.R. Reed are behind them on the depth chart.

Fantasy draft Gardner Minshew II in the first round, earn a case of Bud Light

How about a case of Bud Light if you draft Gardner Minshew II In the first round of your fantasy draft?

Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers may have competition for the first overall pick in NFL Fantasy Drafts. So may all of the other likely first-round picks.

Bud Light is going to whet the appetite of fantasy players all around by enticing them to use a first-round pick on Jacksonville Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew II.

Now, why would anyone use a first-round pick on a QB let alone the second-year starter from Washington State?

Because if you do snap up Minshew in the first round,  you’ll be in line for a case of Bud Light. Talk about a tempting tradeoff.

Bud Light will announce that fans who select Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback, Garden Minshew II, in the first round of their Fantasy Football draft will receive a free case of Bud Light.

Per the release;

Minshew is an absolute fan-favorite that has not received the Fantasy Football love that Bud Light thinks he deserves. To up the ante even further, any team to win their league’s championship with Gardner Minshew II as their starting QB, will be entered to win a season supply of Bud Light!

Bud Light is also releasing new 2020 team bottles for fans to cheer on their team from home.

Well, those who take up Big Light may not win their fantasy championship but it won’t cost them anything if they wind up crying in their beer.

K’Lavon Chaisson discusses how battling Jags’ starting OTs has helped him

K’Lavon Chaisson is learning more by the day in training camp and his competition on the OL has been a vital part of the process.

As a first-round selection for the Jacksonville Jaguars in April’s draft, many fans and media members understand how important K’Lavon Chaisson is to the team’s success in 2020. That’s why he’s been one of the most analyzed players since his return from a hamstring injury he sustained a few weeks ago.

So far, the reviews on him have been encouraging on the No. 20 overall pick as he’s soaking in a lot of tips from players on the defensive side like Josh Allen, Abry Jones, and Dawuane Smoot. However, another aspect of practice that has helped him is the reps he’s taken against starting offensive tackles Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor.

“I feel like it’s great. It’s new sets and I feel like those two guys [Robinson and Taylor] are elite,” Chaisson told the media in a virtual presser Monday. “Just going against them two every day, it kind of brings me a new pass rush offense arsenal. Obviously, you’re going to be going against different sets every week. [It’s great] to go against them every day in practice and those guys give me gems after practice and even during practice on what I can and cannot do. ”

While many have been critical of the Jags’ offensive line, Chaisson certainly could learn a lot from both tackles as they faced elite talents like J.J. Watt, Cam Hayward, Frank Clark, Melvin Ingram, and Joey Bosa last season just to name a few. Additionally, they are players who also practiced against a line that consisted of Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue as fans witnessed last year in training camp.

With just three weeks left before the season, both the Jags offensive line and defensive line will need to continue pushing each other to new heights. That especially should be a point of emphasis for rookies like Chaisson, who won’t have a preseason or joint practices to see different personnel.

Watch: Keelan Cole adds to impressive camp showing with a nice toe drag reception

Keelan Cole added another crazy catch to his name in Monday’s practice courtesy of a dime by Mike Glennon.

When looking at how training camp has gone for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the receivers have had the most standout moments. Veteran Keelan Cole, whose established himself as a circus catch king, added to that during Monday’s practice.

In 1-on-1 drills, Cole made another highlight catch which was caught on video by the Jags social media account. With Parry Nickerson in coverage, Cole ran a fade to the back corner of the end-zone, and with the help of a perfect pass from Mike Glennon, he was able to reel it in for this toe drag reception seen below.

Talk about concentration.

As mentioned above, these type of catches have become routine for Cole as we’ve seen him snag one-handed grabs in clutch game time situations. Of course, his most notable one came in 2018 when he hauled in a one-hander on the New England Patriots in front of their head coach Bill Belichick.

Cole’s highlight catch from Monday just further adds to the under-the-radar camp he’s having. There were some who felt the depth was so good at receiver that he’d be the odd man out for the Jags, but he’s simply been so good that it probably won’t be a thought for the staff.

Jags CB C.J. Henderson returns to practice, several veterans get maintenance day

The Jags got their first pick of the 2020 draft back from Monday’s practice but had several veterans work inside for a maintenance day.

Before the Jacksonville Jaguars took the field for yet another practice, it was announced that first-round pick C.J. Henderson would be returning after missing a few practices with an illness (not related to COVID-19).

The team also announced that both defensive tackle Taven Bryan and receiver Dede Westbrook would once again sit out practice with a bruised knee and bruised shoulder, respectively. It doesn’t sound as though either could be back within the next few days, either, as both were ruled week-to-week cases.

Henderson’s return is big for the Jags’ secondary because they’ve had to rely on a lot of younger rookies who aren’t as polished as him during the time he missed. Then again, some of his fellow rookies flourished when given the opportunity like Luq Barcoo and Chris Claybrooks.

As for Bryan and Westbrook, the team seems to be simply playing it safe with both to make sure they make it into the regular season healthy. Westbrook has sat out with his injury dating back to Saturday, while Bryan suffered his injury in Saturday’s scrimmage.

The Jags also announced that they would be having another maintenance day to help keep the roster fresh and several veterans would be allowed to work inside. Those players are as follows:

 

OL coach George Warhop says Cam Robinson will be Jags’ starting LT

With the Jacksonville Jaguars announcing that Will Richardson would officially move to left tackle, many fans were expecting him to provide some competition for starter Cam Robinson. However, with three weeks left before the season, offensive line …

With the Jacksonville Jaguars announcing that Will Richardson would officially move to left tackle, many fans were expecting him to provide some competition for starter Cam Robinson. However, with three weeks left before the season, offensive line coach George Warhop informed the media of who he envisions being on Gardner Minshew’s blindside come Week 1.

“How important? I mean, Cam is going to be our starting left tackle, I think he’s extremely important,” Warhop said when the media asked him about the importance of Robinson before Sunday’s practice.

“And we need him to perform at a high level. The biggest thing from last year to now is he can take all the practice. He’s out there in all the practices, he’s taking all the reps, there’s been, to this point, no issues with him physically.”

With Robinson being a former second-round pick who is playing on a contract year where the Jags must know what they have in him, Warhop’s statements aren’t the slightest bit shocking. That said, Robinson can now focus on preparing for the regular season.

Warhop’s statements about Robinson’s ability to practice also make sense. Last year, Robinson was returning from an ACL tear before training camp, but he’s now further removed from it and it’s clear he’s 100%. In fact, Robinson has been one of the standouts in camp and started it off on such a high note that he was clearly miles ahead of Richardson from Warhop’s view. It also didn’t help that Richardson had to get acclimated to a new position.

“I’m going to be frank and honest. First, Will had to get adjusted to playing left tackle. Alright, so I don’t think he was there when we started training camp and as I stated the last 3 or 4 days, you can see him settling in. As he gets more settled in and he gets more comfortable, he can create some more competition, that’s just where it is,” Warhop said.

“When he walked in the door, I wouldn’t say day one he was truly competing with Cam [Robinson], because Cam is so far ahead of him. As he closes the distance, he’ll start competing. And I think he’s starting to close the distance.”

With the decision seemingly set on a starter, there is still work for Robinson to do. As the protector of Minshew’s blindside, he must carry his strong showing in camp into the regular season, because if he doesn’t, it could be a long season for the Mississippi Mustache and company who must improve altogether.

Jags remain at No. 32 spot of NFL.com power rankings

The Jacksonville Jaguars are three weeks away from the regular season and seeing national journalist have faith continues to be a rarity. The reason for that seems to be due to the Jags moving on from several veterans this spring to reallocate their …

The Jacksonville Jaguars are three weeks away from the regular season and seeing national journalist have faith continues to be a rarity. The reason for that seems to be due to the Jags moving on from several veterans this spring to reallocate their salary cap.

However, when looking at how Gardner Minshew II and the passing game have fared in training camp, it appears many should have a glimmer of hope for the Jags to surprise some people. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for NFL Network’s Dan Hanzus as he kept the Jags at the No. 32 spot of his most recent power rankings.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Previous rank: No. 32

New coordinator Jay Gruden is running the show on offense in Jacksonville, and it’s fair to say he has some pieces to work with. The addition of talented second-rounder Laviska Shenault Jr. adds more playmaker potential to a solid group of wide receivers that includes DJ Chark, Chris Conley and Dede Westbrook, who all made noise in 2019. Free-agent acquisition Tyler Eifert was one of football’s most productive tight ends before injuries torpedoed his run in Cincinnati. Even Leonard Fournette — bad ankles, bad attitude and all — could stack some numbers in a Gruden offense that loves to feature running backs. The biggest question might be whether Gardner Minshew is an actual solution at quarterback or just a fun guy to have around the building.

The skepticism towards Minshew is understandable, but he may deserve more respect when looking at how he’s fared in training camp. His connection with go-to target D.J. Chark has gotten stronger, while new additions like receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. and Collin Jonson have been impressive, too. Sure, we have to wait to the regular season to see where the Jags truly are at, but they don’t feel like the worst team in football due to the offense.

As for the rest of the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans came in ahead of the rest of the division with the No. 5 spot. The Indianapolis Colts weren’t too far behind, either, coming in at the No. 10 spot. Lastly, the Houston Texans cracked the top half of the power rankings at No. 16.

Of the three, the only team to move from Hanzus’ previous power rankings were the Colts, who fell one spot after previously being ranked ninth.

Jags OL coach George Warhop discusses Ben Bartch’s transition into NFL so far

One of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ more interesting picks of the 2020 NFL Draft was offensive lineman Ben Bartch, who was selected in the fourth-round. With many fans believing the team needed help on the offensive line, it didn’t take long for many …

One of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ more interesting picks of the 2020 NFL Draft was offensive lineman Ben Bartch, who was selected in the fourth-round. With many fans believing the team needed help on the offensive line, it didn’t take long for many to demand him as a replacement for starting guard A.J. Cann.

However, in the early stages of camp, it appears offensive line coach George Warhop believes Bartch needs some more time to get acclimated, though he likes his potential and upside.

“I like Ben, I like him. His college tape was good, but level of play didn’t give you a great indicator of what he possibly could be. I thought when he was at the senior bowl before he got hurt, I thought he competed extremely well there,” Warhop said.

“[He] showed some things that we like in our guys, some strength. He has some tenacity. He’s a bright kid. I think it’s really just him getting comfortable. He hasn’t shied away from the competition, just technically getting used to how we want to play, making the transition from tackle to guard.”

As pointed out by Warhop, Bartch’s name began to garner some attention at the Senior Bowl as he was on an all-star roster practicing against notables like Javon Kinlaw, Jabari Zuniga, and Jonathan Greenard to name a few. He held his own in the process and it Cleary was a key in the Jags drafting him No. 116th overall.

As for the strength and tenacity Warhop spoke on, that was on display this week for Bartch as the pads went on. There were times where the media was able to catch him on video holding his own against some of the Jags potential starters like Taven Bryan and Timmy Jernigan.

While it’s unclear if Bartch could overtake Cann as a starter, there is time for Bartch to make progress as the regular season is three weeks away. With no preseason games, it might be an uphill battle if he has a chance to start but clearly the talent is there for him to develop.

Tre Herndon discusses his growth after experience he gained in 2019

Tre Herndon met with the media Saturday and discussed the experience he gained in 2019 among other notable topics.

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tre Herndon has entered camp as one of the top players to watch due to the cornerback position being unsettled next to projected starter and first-round rookie C.J. Henderson. Heading into Year 3, Herndon will at least have a leg up on most of the Jags’ corners experience wise after registering 14 starts in 2019, most of which came due to the Jalen Ramsey saga.

After Saturday’s practice session, Herndon got to speak about the experience he gained in his second season and how it’s helped him up to this point.

“I feel like last year was definitely a good step for me, a good stride, just getting really my first year [of] consistent game action and starting,” Herndon said. “I feel like it was good for me. I feel like definitely knowing the game, kind of feeling that game speed, tendencies, those kinds of things, I was able to take a step with. Now [I’m] just stepping on top of that, adding more with my technique, being more consistent, being more consistent in film study now that I have a year under my belt.”

In the early stages of 2019, Herndon had his share of struggles, but it he began to improve as the season progressed. Now, it will be a matter of transferring his progress into training camp, and if he does, it should be enough to make him a starter Week 1 against Indy.

With three weeks left before the start of the season, however, there will be some competition for Herndon starting with veteran Tramaine Brock. The veteran, who just signed this month, will bring 56 career starts to the table. Of those starts, 11 came last season as he played for both the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans.

Heading forward it will be interesting to see how the battle between the two shapes Herndon heading into 2020. Right now, Brock may have the edge but if there is anything we’ve learned from last year it’s the fact that Herndon is a competitor who is more than capable of improving week in and week out.