There was a feel-like temperature of about 90 degrees as practice began at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. The Jaguars' play reflected the heat in more ways than one.
At times, it was red hot.
Others, sluggish and worn down.
Here are some takeaways from the sixth practice media could attend:
The Scho' Goes Off
After deflecting one pass and narrowly missing hauling in another over the course of the first week on the practice field, Joe Schobert finally picked off Gardner Minshew on Tuesday. In doing so, he showcased a vertical leap and competitive edge that former AFC North foe-turned-teammate Tyler Eifert knows all too well.
"You know he flies around, but he also doesn't get fooled much. He seems to sniff stuff out really easily -- just shows that veteran savvy and having played a lot of football. He can dissect a play really quick," Eifert explained.
All of this while his partner-in-crime on the field, Myles Jack, remains sidelined with an undisclosed illness. Dakota Allen and Joe Giles-Harris saw snaps at weak-side linebacker in place of Jack.
A native of Wisconsin, Schobert has surprised more than a few people on the field by donning long sleeves in the Florida heat -- but his conditioning is top-notch. He's shown speed in keeping up with wide receivers, something Todd Wash's defense -- if it does not change from years past -- will most certainly entail.
Minshew On the Move
A solid, all-around day for the sophomore quarterback saw him take more quarterback draws than he has in any practice open to the media so far. Minshew never broke for more than a first down, but he once again showcased those wheels that made him the more "mobile" option between he and Nick Foles a year ago.
Some other notes from Minshew's performance:
- His best throw of the day was (unsurprisingly) a 30-yard, perfect spiral down the sideline to D.J. Chark in 7-on-7
- Minshew also hit Chris Conley for a similar, albeit 20-yard throw down the sideline. Their connection has been there in camp, but this was easily one of their longest completions of the last week.
- He fit a 15-yard pass to tight end James O'Shaughnessey in a shoebox, with two defenders on the veteran tight end.
- Under pressure, Minshew found Laviska Shenault at the line of scrimmage in the final team period -- and Shenault did the rest. The rookie bounced off starting cornerback Tre Henrdon at the sideline, and spun back into the field of play to continue the play.
Jernigan Adjusting Back to Florida Life
The Jaguars latest signee and Lake City-product wasn't shy in admitting to the media Monday: that Florida heat takes a toll. At one point, Jernigan instantly tossed right back-up a sip of Gatorade he had just taken.
He looked a bit more conditioned for the heat Tuesday, but couldn't have been prepared for losing the cap on his tooth. Yes, you heard that right. It resulted in a 10-minute search by the Jaguars operations staff in the end-zone where defensive linemen had been working.
No word on if the cap was recovered.
In all seriousness: during the final team period, Jernigan made a nice, open field tackle of rookie running back Nathan Cottrell well past the line of scrimmage. Beyond needing his big body up the middle, the Jaguars simply need defenders who can stop the run.
Quick Hits
- Rookie Daniel Thomas displayed great coverage, breaking up a 20-yard pass from Mike Glennon to Keelan Cole in 7-on-7. Cole was able to bat the pass into the air, but Thomas did a good job of keeping the receiver away.
- With Josh Oliver sidelined indefinitely with a broken bone in his foot, sixth-round draftee Tyler Davis saw more reps in team drills, particularly as a blocking tight end.
- Fellow 2020 draftee Collin Johnson is also making a name for himself with his blocking prowess, especially on running packages.
- Very curious to see what happens when Ryquell Armstead returns from the Reserve/COVID-19 List, as free agent signee Chris Thompson is the Jaguars' unquestioned, No. 2 running back. The two have different styles for sure -- Thompson gives the Jaguars that "scat back" they lacked last year -- but Thompson has also not been afraid to use power and muscle at the line of scrimmage.
- Rookie Marvelle Ross stayed after practice Monday to work with the quarterbacks -- and it paid dividends Tuesday. He hauled in a pass from Mike Glennon on a go-route and came back for a pass from Jake Luton in team drills.
- Not sure if "Breakfast Club" participation can be awarded today, as several position groups stayed late... but off-to-the-side, it was Leon Jacobs, Cassius Marsh and K'Lavon Chaisson working together. Marsh had previously mentioned this group was a "small group" that met during virtual OTAs. Eifert also praised Jacobs as one of the hardest hitters he has seen so far in Camp.
... and here is Jaguars' tight end coach Ron Middleton, with your moment of zen.
