2018 Jacksonville Jaguars training camp: What is the most important thing?

The Jacksonville Jaguars will open up their 2018 training camp on Thursday morning and while it will be a little boring for the first time in a decade (it means we’re good, folks!) there are still positional battles, individual developments, and more happening that we’ll need to pay attention to.

Before camp begins, we wanted to ask the Big Cat Country team (and you!) a simple question:

“What the most important thing you’ll be looking out for at training camp?”

Alfie Crow (@AlfieBCC)

“The easy answer is the quarterback, but I’m way more interested in how the wide receiver group shakes out. We know the Jaguars are going to play good defense and grind teams out with the running game, but they’re going to need a couple of guys to emerge in the receiver group in order to maintain some consistency and get some explosive plays. Hopefully Keelan Cole can continue from what he built on last season when he kind of emerged as the team’s pseudo-No. 1 with his big play ability. There’s a good group of talent at the receiver position, they just need someone to step out of the logjam of a bunch of No. 2’s and take over the group as the go-to guy.”

Ryan Day (@ryaneatscake)

“It’s got to be the quarterback, right? I mean, everything rides on Blake Bortles. A good quarterback covers a multitude of sins and while the offensive line and running backs are good (at least at the top) the wide receivers and tight ends are a huge question mark. If Bortles is good, he can make them look good. If he’s bad, he can make them look bad.”

Jon Kirland (@BCBCouch)

“I want Taven Bryan to wow me in camp, particularly once the pads go on. He’s likely to start with the 2’s and 3’s and looking the part — the way Ngakoue did in his rookie camp against similar competition — will go a long way towards quelling the feeling I had about the pick in April. I’m a Florida Gators fan and I didn’t think he produced much in college enough to warrant the selection. Prove me wrong.”

Ryan O’Bleness (@ryanobleness)

“Although I expect the Jaguars to continue to play in a lot of nickel packages where the position isn’t needed, I am still very intrigued by the position battle at the strong-side linebacker (SAM) spot. I expect Blair Brown to earn the starting role there. However, rookie Leon Jacobs, the seventh-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, should provide good competition. Jacobs’ athleticism and physical build make him an interesting fit at SAM, but he has a lot of learning to do still. Donald Payne is a wild card after an impressive offseason program. He may earn more playing time this season. Still, I think the job is Brown’s to lose.”

Brian Fullford (@iambwf)

“My primary concern is the maturity of Myles Jack. There is the obvious need to take ownership as leader of the LB corps, but I also need to see a controlled mentality. While at UCLA he was known for inopportune personal fouls, and as a Jaguars we have seen glimpses of that as well. Replacing a leader means assuming a position beyond the physical, and if Myles must show us, to his own words, that he learned how to be a professional from Paul Posluszny.”

Filip Prus (@JaxonFil)

“I’m most interested in the sixth receiver spot. Do they trust the flashes they’ve seen so far in OTAs from an injury-marred Rashad Greene? Or do they award that spot to highly sought after rookie free agent Allen Lazard, who has suffered from some drops early but offers another big body red zone target in the event Moncrief gets hurt? While the argument exists that Lazard can always land on the practice squad this season and get promoted in the event of injury, I would be hesitant to expose him to waivers a la a Tyrone Holmes or Briean Boddy-Calhoun in the past. This might be a scenario where the Jaguars actually hope Lazard doesn’t shine too much in their four preseason games so they can sneak him through waivers and allow him to develop this season.”

Milind Mishra (@marhsim)

“What I’m most curious to see during training camp is the development of Keelan Cole. I thought he was far and away our best receiver last year. As of now, we don’t have a clear cut WR1 — but Cole is a dark horse to become one. It’ll be interesting to see where he lands among the WR depth chart with new additions DJ Chark and Donte Moncrief.”

Laurie Fitzpatrick (@LaurieFitzptrck)

“Wide receivers and tight ends. We have a lot of young guys and personally I’m looking out for who lines up as a No. 1 when Marqise Lee isn’t there. Tight Ends also because of the recent pickups — Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Niles Paul — and I’d like to see how James O’Shaughnessy is used and who will be Marcedes Lewis’ replacement.”

What do you think? What are you most looking forward to watching in this year’s training camp?