5 Observations on Jaguars OTAs No. 1

The Jacksonville Jaguars have wrapped up the first day of OTAs, and we were there to watch it all.

So, what did we see during the course of the offseason's first important practice? We break it down below.

Trevor Lawrence's day is a mixed bag

The Jaguars' franchise quarterback had a so-so day at the office; that doesn't mean anything long-term and is more of a examination of his sole day on Monday as opposed to how he may look during the 2025 season. Still, Trevor Lawrence has had better practices than the one he had during the first day of OTAs.

Lawrence missed on a few throws throughout the day, namely on an overthrow downfield to Travis Hunter that was intercepted by Darnell Savage. Another pass was deflected off Parker Washington's hands and was intercepted by Jarrian Jones, with Lawrence attributing it to a miscommunication between the two.

It wasn't all bad, though. Despite some bouts of inaccuracy, Lawrence also made several impressive throws to Brian Thomas Jr. and Hunter near the sideline. He also created the best play of the day, hitting tight end Johnny Mundt down the seams by fitting the pass in between several defenders.

It was Lawrence's first real competitive practice since surgery, and he wasn't alone in the struggles. But in this one isolated setting, it was a so-so day.

Dyami Brown stands out

The player who had the best performance on Monday? Free agent wide receiver Dyami Brown, who is in his first year with the Jaguars after signing a one-year deal in the offseason. Running alongside the likes of Thomas and Hunter, Brown made it clear that defenses will not be able to afford considering him an afterthought.

Brown displayed crisp routes, was one of the few receivers who did not deal with drops, and made explosive plays both through the air and on designed touches as a ball-carrier. Brown earned some big praise post-practice from Liam Coen and Grant Udinski, and it is clear why.

Defense is ahead of the offense

The Jaguars' defense is clearly ahead of the offense through one practice -- something Coen himself noted. There is some context needed, though, especially the fact that defenses are normally always ahead of offenses at this time of the year and even through training camp. This is especially true when new systems are being installed on both sides of the ball.

With that in mind, it was still an impressive day for the defense. They took advantage of several mistakes from the Jaguars; they picked off Lawrence twice, Josh Hines-Allen scooped up a Bhayshul Tuten fumble, Ventrell Miller picked off John Wolford, and Zech McPhearson picked off Nick Mullens. Add in a few nice pass breakups (Jones had a nice day, particularly) and it was a good day for Anthony Campanile's unit overall.

Travis Hunter takes step forward

Compared to Travis Hunter's performance in rookie minicamp -- where he looked like an electric athlete who still was learning being a full-time receiver -- it seemed as if Hunter's first OTA practice was a noticeable step forward. Hunter was crisper in his routes, showed consistent hands, and was able to make a number of plays in team drills.

Considering Hunter's college usage as a receiver, there will clearly be some progression and development to his game. The fact he is already improving from his first practice is a good sign for the Jaguars and for Hunter, and he very obviously will play a major role in the Jaguars' offense in 2025 and beyond.

Competition is at a high

The Jaguars have made it clear they are going to stress competition throughout the course of the offseason and training camp, and this was incredibly clear during OTAs. Without divulging too much on where players are lining up and with what units (not all tactiful information is allowed to be reported), the Jaguars had a ton of rotation at offensive line, cornerback, tight end, and defensive line.

Jacksonville's staff has made it clear that there is a clean slate on the roster, and that means very, very few players are locked into starting roles. The Jaguars are set to let the best man win at a number of positions, and the first key offseason practice made this as obvious as ever.