Travis Hunter the right choice? Former Jaguars Head Coach Coughlin thoughts
Former Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Tom Coughlin weighs in on Travis Hunter’s draft
- Trevor Lawrence expressed confidence in Brian Thomas Jr., calling him one of the top receivers in the league.
- The Jaguars are working on integrating rookie Travis Hunter into the offense, focusing on his development as a receiver before incorporating defensive reps.
- Other areas of focus during OTAs include the competition at cornerback and the performance of the running backs and offensive line.
Video made rounds online of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence overthrowing wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. on the opening day of organized team activities.
Lawrence shot the ball over Thomas’ arm as the second-year receiver came out of a break during a drill. It was one of two times the pair missed on a connection that day.
The two players are a critical part of Jacksonville’s future, as head coach Liam Coen tries to turn around a struggling program in his first year in Jacksonville.
“I went a solid three-and-a-half-plus months without throwing with the shoulder deal. I started to throw a little bit before OTAs, I feel really good now,” Lawrence said when asked if it’d take time for him to regain timing with Thomas.
Lawrence has season-ending surgery on his non-throwing shoulder and has only recently ramped up his throwing during the offseason.
“I feel like my arm is back in shape,” he continued. “I am getting sharper and sharper every day. I think it was more of that, not necessarily getting the chemistry back with B.T.”
Thomas exploded on the scene for the Jaguars last season. He rewrote the franchise record books, staking claim to the most catches (87), receiving yards (1,282) and receiving touchdowns (10) by a rookie club history.
But as he shined throughout the season, Lawrence watched from the sideline for seven of those games. He missed two games with a left, non-throwing shoulder AC joint sprain, then during his return, got a concussion from a questionable hit by Azeez Al-Shaair, causing him to miss the final five games of the season. The Jaguars opted to shut him down for the remainder of the season following the concussion, so he could also have surgery on his injured left shoulder.
“We didn’t finish the year together. Just being able to watch him even though I wasn’t playing,” Lawrence said. “Watching his one-on-one reps, the stuff we were doing with him last year, the situations he was put in, how he was able to adapt, play the slot and move outside and really take advantage of every matchup.”
Trevor Lawrence has confidence in Brian Thomas Jr. as one of the top receivers in the NFL
Heavy expectations weren’t put on Thomas as a rookie. The Jaguars entered the 2024 season with what they thought was a strong pass catching contingent.
Featuring Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis and Evan Engram, Thomas was thought to be someone who could provide dynamic plays with his speed.
But after season-ending injuries sidelined each of the previously mentioned players, Thomas became the focal point of the offense. And with Lawrence on the shelf, the Jaguars became limited in their offensive output with Mac Jones at quarterback
Thomas rose to the occasion, however, showing his versatility while shouldering the entire offense as a first-year player.
“He’s one of the top receivers in the league,” Lawrence said. “My confidence in him after seeing him do his thing for a year now, when you get the one-on-one, you feel really confident about our guy. I have a lot of confidence in him.”
Now, as the Jaguars enter a new season with a new system, Thomas will have higher expectations. Coen has already stated the offense will run through him.
Along with No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter, the Jaguars boast one of the most dynamic receiving rooms in the NFL. But potential only goes so far.
Still, Lawrence is confident in his top target.
“This is a guy that you can move anywhere, you can do anything,” he said. “He is going to find a way to get the ball because he is just that good.”
Will Travis Hunter see defensive reps during Jacksonville Jaguars OTA No. 4?
Hunter has only been featured as a wide receiver in practices open to the media this offseason.
It makes sense that the team wants him to get as much time on the grass with the offense. Between getting timing down with Lawrence and alignments, he’s balancing a lot on that side of the ball.
Hunter is still raw as a receiver. His film speaks for itself displaying his catching and playmaking ability, but he has a lot of work to do with the small details.
The proper placement of feet, crispness of route running and understanding of Coen’s system will all take time to develop.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Jaguars used the duration of the offseason, and potentially even the start of training camp, to refine his offensive skillset before having him be featured on defense on the grass.
Hunter has already begun learning the defensive playbook and is a participant in meetings with the defensive coaching staff. Patience will be key with this process.
It is still May, after all.
Other things to watch during OTA No. 4 for the Jacksonville Jaguars
If Hunter does get reps on defense, that’s the top thing to be watching.
It’s assumed that when the Jaguars play their season opener against the Carolina Panthers in September Hunter will be on the field as a starter.
That said, the Jaguars cornerback options opposite Tyson Campbell aren’t well-established. The team rotated players at the position including Jourdan Lewis, Buster Brown and Jarrian Jones last week.
Again, it’s early and we’ll get a better picture of the full plan down the road.
The running back room is something to monitor. Rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten had early fumbling issues last week. We’ll have an eye on Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, Keilan Robinson and rookie LeQuint Allen Jr. as well.
Lastly, we’ll continue to watch the offensive line. Reports were floated that the Jaguars could make changes to the presumed starting players along the offensive line.
That was not apparent during the first OTA, but it’s early. With new additions, it’ll be something to watch.
The biggest thing to remember: This is all relevantly irrelevant. Players are practicing without pads and are in shorts.
“We’re working towards playing in September, obviously,” Coen said after OTA No. 1. “At this point, it’s strictly how much can we actually learn from every day.”