Separating Reality From Fiction From Jaguars' First OTA Practices

When there are no pads involved and practices look closer to 7-on-7 passing camps than anything else during some team periods, it is important to remember the context of the practice to determine what is real and what is fiction.

So, what performances and stakes do we believe are real from the first few Jaguars OTAs? And which narratives do we believe are closer to fiction than reality? We break it all down below.

What's Real

Brian Thomas Jr.'s Ascent

Yes, it is incredibly too early to proclaim anyone a breakout or bounce-back candidate simply because of a few OTA practices. There are no pads and limited levels of contact allowed, which means it hardly simulates what real snaps will look like in training camp and then of course once Week 1 rolls around. But that doesn't mean we should entirely ignore what Brian Thomas Jr. has shown thus far.

Through a pair of open OTA practices, Thomas has been the most explosive playmaker on the offense and it is obvious the Jaguars have made an effort to get him and Trevor Lawrence on the same page when it comes to testing defenses vertically. Thomas has now caught multiple deep passes, and has done so over each of the Jaguars' top three healthy cornerbacks to this rate.

The upside here is that this is not something that Lawrence and Thomas were doing all that much of ahead of last season. The duo struggled to connect on deep passes throughout training camp a year ago, and this carried over into the regular season as their connection was less efficient and consistent than it had been during Thomas' breakout rookie season.

They will need to maintain this progress, but it very much so looks real right now. It helps that Thomas looks completely healthy after battling injuries last season, as his speed and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage has been at top shape thus far.

Bhayshul Tuten's 2nd-Year Leap

Bhayshul Tuten certainly had some flashes during his rookie season, but there is a reason he has been seen as a big winner in the early stages of OTAs so far. Tuten has always been an explosive and dynamic athlete, but it is fair say that he looks like he is playing faster now than he was at this time last year. Running backs are hard to judge with no pads on, but Tuten looked like things were moving at a quicker pace during his processing during his first year of OTAs.

Now, he looks explosive, purposeful, and potentially ready to take a big leap. The fact the Jaguars have not yet had Chris Rodriguez Jr. on the field at OTAs means Tuten has gotten a lot of chances for reps over the last week-plus, and he seems to have taken advantage of them. He has drawn the praise of head coach Liam Coen, who has not been shy before about the areas he would like to see Tuten improve in.

Value of Another Year in Campanile's Scheme

The Jaguars' offense had a better day on Monday than they had in the week earlier during the first day of OTAs, but one hthing is clear about the Jaguars' defense: they look settled in. The Jaguars' defensive roster ran three different defensive schemes from 2023-2025, and that high amount of change left plenty of players swimming upstream. The value of another year in defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile's system already seems immense.

Jacksonvilles's back seven has already made a lot of plays on the ball in coverage, with the likes of Eric Murray, Preston Hodge, and Montaric Brown recording interceptions through the first two open practices. Jalen Huskey nearly recorded one as well. Even the new-comers seem to be playing well, which has to be the direct result of the comfort and guidance of the veterans they are now paired with.