Jaguars Daily: Doug Pederson sees progress, momentum with Jaguars

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Happy Tuesday, everyone! The Jacksonville Jaguars have mandatory minicamp right around the corner.

Here’s all the Jacksonville Jaguars news that’s fit to print, or find from around the Internet.

Doug Pederson sees progress, momentum with Jaguars

Doug Pederson and the Jaguars are excited to wrap up one portion of their offseason program and head into the next phase.

Then, the real work begins.

With a 3-14 record from a season ago in the rearview mirror, growing optimism around the locker room sets the Jaguars up for a heavily anticipated season

“The team’s in a good place. We’re throwing a lot at them,” Pederson said. “We have to get work done, and our next phase in pads will help us get where we want to be.”

Click here to read more from Kole Emplit over at News4Jax about the state of the team headed out of OTAs.

Jaguars backup QB CJ Beathard carted off during practice with injury

Jacksonville Jaguars backup quarterback CJ Beathard was taken off the field via cart during OTAs today.

According to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Beathard was down on the field for several minutes, but the injury and its’ severity are still unknown. He’s the second Jaguars player to suffer an injury during yesterday’s practice, joining second-year linebacker Jordan Smith.

Rookie WR Kevin Austin Jr. hopes to make most of opportunity with Jaguars

It wasn’t long after the draft that Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. knew where he’d end up. He and his agent worked diligently to figure out the best spot, with Austin ultimately leaving it up to the latter to find the best spot, Jacksonville.

No, it wasn’t easy for the former Notre Dame receiver to see 262 names that weren’t his cross the ticker on the bottom of the television, but that’s ultimately what happened after his name wasn’t called and his phone didn’t ring during the three-day extravaganza.

Still, Austin has gotten over the fact that he wasn’t selected, knowing that he has a chance to compete for a spot on a roster that is in need of talent at the receiver position.

Click here to read more from Demetrius Harvey about the rookie’s journey to the NFL up to this point.

First look at No. 1 pick Travon Walker’s fit with Jaguars

The biggest challenge for NFL evaluators is determining whether a prospect is an ideal fit for the team’s scheme. For a media scout, the lack of information and insight from each organization can make it difficult to play the mock draft game when attempting to match top prospects with pro franchises.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, the surprising rise of Travon Walker to No. 1 overall created quite a stir in media circles, with many observers obsessing over the Georgia product’s sack production instead of focusing on his intriguing traits as a super-sized defensive playmaker with positional flexibility.

Click here to read more from NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks about the highly touted prospect who’s making waves in Duval.

Jacksonville players to watch ahead of OTA No. 7

Organized team activities are winding down for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Soon, mandatory minicamp will be kicking off and the Jaguars will be in another key stage of the offseason.

But first comes Monday. On Monday, the Jaguars will once again hit the practice field in hopes of sharpening their skills and taking plays from the classroom to the field under new head coach Doug Pederson.

So, which Jaguars are worth keeping a close eye on during Monday’s practice and why? John Shipley at Jaguar Report breaks it all down here.

4 Jaguars players who could get bumped down the depth chart

The Jaguars have a few OTA practices left before they take a rest and recharge batteries for training camp. During this period of time, there will be several players either competing for roster spots or trying to hold onto the jobs they had last season.

Several training camp battles will take place in the upcoming weeks, and these four Jaguars players could get bumped down the depth chart.

Jaguars look much improved on the defensive side of the ball

The Jaguars ranked 20th in the NFL in total defense (353.1 yards per game allowed), 17th against the pass (227.9 yards allowed per game), 24th against the run (125.1 yards allowed per game), and 28th in points allowed per game (26.9) last season.

Additionally, the Jaguars ranked 25th in the league in third-down defense (about 43 percent conversions allowed) and 30th in fourth-down defense (66.7 percent conversions allowed). Jacksonville also could not produce turnovers, as the Jaguars ranked dead last in the NFL with just nine takeaways (seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries).

Suffice to say, it wasn’t good.

With all of this in mind, the Jaguars have shown a clear plan to improve the defense this offseason. Newly-hired head coach Doug Pederson brought in Mike Caldwell from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to run the defense, and Pederson and Caldwell have greatly improved the personnel on that side of the ball — at least on paper.