A month ago, getting speedy deep threat Tyron Johnson seemed like a total seal for the Jaguars. Four games and hardly any targets later, and Johnson's inclusion into the Jaguars' offense is still more in theory than in reality.
But with DJ Chark now on injured reserve with an ankle injury, the Jaguars -- and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell -- knows that has to change for the sake of the passing game and Trevor Lawrence's ability to continue to throw downfield bombs.
“We’re working [in] that direction. I’d love to see him get out there," Bevell said on Thursday as the Jaguars prepare for the Tennessee Titans.
"We continue to press him. I tell these guys the practice field is where you have to make it, so he has to continue to work out there to get more opportunities.”
Bevell's words make it clear: the Jaguars know they could badly use Johnson's game-breaking speed on the field, but so far they have not yet been swayed to put much on his plate yet, if anything at all.
Johnson has 4.36 speed and caught 20 passes for 398 yards (19.9 yards per catch) and three touchdowns in 12 games with the Los Angeles Chargers and rookie quarterback Justin Herbert last year, but through four games with the Jaguars he has played 27 snaps (11% of the offensive snaps), and has seen just three targets, with his lone catch coming in Week 1. It went for six yards. He hasn't played more than 9 snaps in any game.
Then Johnson has been out-snapped in games by the following receivers: Laquon Treadwell, Phillip Dorsett, and Tavon Austin. Treadwell is on the practice squad and Dorsett spent one game on the active roster before being released, while the 5-foot-8 Austin took Chark's place at the 'X' receiver spot in Week 4 instead of Johnson.
But now, with Chark on the sidelines and the Jaguars badly needing a boost of speed to their receiving corps. Johnson is just the man to do that, especially in comparison to the rest of the roster.
"He had his best week in practice and he’s a very talented guy. We’re glad he’s with us, but it’s time for him," Urban Meyer said last Friday.
To say that Johnson falling behind Treadwell, Dorsett and Austin in the pecking order on the game day depth chart is surprising is an understatement. Johnson was arguably the team's second-best deep threat before Chark's injury, but he failed to get on the field over journeyman receivers who haven't proven much as deep threats in the past.
With that said, there are some reasons why. Week 2 was a particularly tough game for Johnson, with the wide receiver false starting once on a down, while also being boxed out by Patrick Surtain Jr. deep down the sideline late in the game. Johnson lost the battle to Surtain, who picked off Lawrence and effectively ended the Jaguars' comeback bid.
“I think the biggest thing is anytime you get put out there, there’s trust factors, I think trust factors with the coaches and the players and then players to players as well," Bevell said.
"You need to know that you’re going to react the correct way in different situations, sometimes the different looks that a defense can give to you, the post-snap, pre-snap looks, and it changes. You have to be able to react the right way and that’s still what we’re working on.”
Johnson hasn't been with the Jaguars long and shouldn't have been expected to know the playbook as well as receivers like Austin and Treadwell who were in Jacksonville for camp. The fact he has not yet found a way to the field seems to hinge largely on this, but it shouldn't be held against Johnson that he joined the team late.
But now, those types of details and semantics have potentially fallen to the wayside. Chark is out for an indefinite period of time and Johnson is the Jaguars' best option to be the next man up, even with Austin and Jamal Agnew waiting in the wings.
But for Bevell, he wants to see Johnson continue to improve at the little things of the receiver position before he takes a bigger role. Earning the trust of Bevell -- and the trust of the offense -- is the path for Johnson to the field and more playing time. Whether that happens against the Titans without Chark on the field on Sunday will say a lot.
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