Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 Training Camp Preview
The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering the 2022 season fresh off another first-overall draft pick. The Urban Meyer era was one to forget, but one that will be near impossible to ignore given the dumpster fire it was (and that’s putting it lightly). With new head coach Doug Pederson, there’s some optimism just from the fact that he’s not Meyer, and first overall pick Travon Walker can get some people excited. Let’s get into this training camp preview.
Three Position Battles to Watch
Running Back: James Robinson & Travis Etienne
The undrafted guy who has proven to be a quality starter against a first-round pick. Although I was not too fond of the Etienne pick, Jacksonville is going to want to get a return on the significant investment for Etienne. He played with Lawrence at Clemson, and the Jaguars don’t want to piss away a first-round pick intentionally, although they’ve found many ways to piss away first-round picks unintentionally.
Center: Tyler Shatley & Luke Fortner
Every offense needs that leader and signal-caller on the offensive line. A team’s center can be a force, especially if they are responsible for identifying the Mike, making protection calls, and everyone related to blocking assignments (all of which will help a young quarterback). Shatley has experience on his side but nothing else. He and Fortner are about the same quality of player, with Fortner having significantly more upside, and I don’t see why he would be unable to handle the responsibility of being the quarterback of the offensive line.
Wide Receiver No. 3: Laviska Shenault, Zay Jones, Laquon Treadwell
The Jaguars have spent a lot of money in the wide receiver room (with 90% of that money being Christian Kirk) but they still find themselves without a cemented third wide receiver. They don’t even have a true No. 1 receiver, just a lot of solid guys. Teams need to be at least three deep at wide receiver, so this battle is one to really pay attention to.
Ready To Breakout: Trevor Lawrence
There’s no good candidate on this team. There are either established veterans who are good, established veterans who are meh, or rookies that do not have any clear way of improvement or breakout. The one name that sticks out is Trevor Lawrence, and does that even count? He was not a good quarterback last season, but he showed flashes. Under the tutelage of someone not named Urban Meyer, if he plays even average it will be a large improvement.
Rookie To Watch: Luke Fortner
Fortner is someone who was part of the second wave of center prospects. Where if you didn’t get one of the top guys, he’s someone solid in the later rounds. His film was solid, and he’ll have the chance to earn the job out right before week one.
Fantasy Sleeper: Evan Engram
An uber-athletic tight end is always a fun play in fantasy. If Puberty Engram can stop dropping balls, he has a ten percent drop percentage for his career, then he can be something in fantasy. He has the physical traits and the opportunity to establish himself as a safety net for Trevor Lawrence.
