5 Observations on Day 1 of Jaguars Minicamp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars conducted the first of their mandatory three-day minicamp at Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, and we were there for it all.

So, what did we see? We break it down below.

Travis Hunter spends the day on defense

For the first time since he was drafted, rookie phenom Travis Hunter practiced on defense during an open media day. Hunter has several defensive practices under his belt since rookie minicamp and OTAs, but this was the first time we have been able to observe Hunter play cornerback during the course of an open practice.

Hunter, as expected, looks completely natural at cornerback. He spent the early portions of practice working alone with secondary coach Ron Milus and defensive backs coach Anthony Perkins while most of the roster spent time on special teams. This kind of time spent with two of them before practice really ramps up could be invaluable for Hunter, who deflected a pass in team drills toward the end of practice.

Tyson Campbell, Brian Thomas Jr. have titanic battle

Two of the most talented players on the Jaguars' entire roster are cornerback Tyson Campbell and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. The times the two of them get paired against each other in practice always serve as must-watch moments in practice, and this was no different when the Jaguars' offense and defense faced off in team drills on Tuesday.

Thomas and Campbell traded wins against each other during team drills; Thomas caught a pass against Campbell from Trevor Lawrence early on in one period, but Campbell quickly responded with a pass breakup against the duo. Campbell had a really strong day of practice in particular, as noted by head coach Liam Coen.

Joshua Cephus stands out

With Hunter spending the day on defense, this meant a big chance for the Jaguars' backup receivers to see increased reps. The two wideouts who made the most catches after the starting duo of Thomas and Dyami Brown figured to be Parker Washington and Josh Cephus, with the latter making an impressive catch in the middle of the end zone during one period.

It will of course take consistency to earn a spot in the Jaguars' receiver room, but it could make sense for them to carry six receivers due to Hunter playing defensive snaps. If Cephus can carry a strong offseason into training camp, perhaps he can be one of the options to play that role for a Jaguars' offense that needs reliable depth behind their top targets.

Defense ramps up the pressure

It is impossible to truly judge and gauge how offensive lines are performing during this time of year. Without pads on and with every play more or less having to be a passing play due to the lack of pads, it is unfair to really evaluate the success of the offensive line on any given play. With that said, we did get to see the Jaguars' pass-rush impact quite a few plays on Tuesday.

The Jaguars' added depth of Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah seems to be settling in nicely, with Ogbah having a particually impressive day. It is tough to offset the defensive line with the offensive line during minicamp, but you could really get a sense of the Jaguars' juice and improved depth at the edge position.

Play of the day

The best play of the day came from veteran defensive back Jourdan Lewis, who knocked away a near-touchdown pass from Lawrence to Parker Washington during red-zone drills. It looked like a sure win for the offense before Lewis dove in front of the ball to force it loose, drawing a big reaction from the sideline in the process.