JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars 2022 Training Camp continued Wednesday.
It was the second day of the first training camp under Head Coach Doug Pederson, featuring an unpadded practice at Knight Sports Campus of Episcopal School of Jacksonville. Each day throughout camp, four members of Jaguars Media – senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton, senior reporter/editor J.P. Shadrick and team reporter Ashlyn Sullivan – will share an observation.
Here are Wednesday's "campservations:"
John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer…
A couple of thoughts from Day 3. First thought: Rookie outside linebacker Travon Walker continues to impress. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Walker appears to be steadily growing more comfortable in media settings – and the respect he already has earned from teammates and coaches is impressive. Any analysis on Walker is on hold until the pads go on, of course. He made clear speaking to the media Wednesday he is eagerly anticipating Sunday's first day in pads. How he fares that day will be a major storyline. Second thought: Second-year running back Travis Etienne Jr. hardly could have looked better early in camp. He had perhaps his most impressive run of camp Wednesday, cutting and accelerating to turn a run around the left side of the line into a long gain. He showed a lot of confidence on the run and showed no aftereffects of the Lisfranc injury that kept him out his entire 2021 rookie season. Etienne must do that often – and with pads – to have the sort of impact the Jaguars need from him. But Wednesday was a good day for the No. 25 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Brian Sexton, Jaguars Senior Correspondent…
I saw what I was looking for from Etienne Wednesday. It wasn't earth-shattering and won't make the top of every sportscast from coast to coast, but I saw it and it made me smile. On a simple handoff to the left side, Etienne patiently waited for the offensive line and the tight end to create a seam. Once he saw what he was looking for, he was gone down the sideline. The Jaguars drafted Etienne to be a difference-maker; without him last year, they struggled to find the big plays to keep defenses off-balance. There's a long way to go, but for almost a year, I've waited to see if the running back could overcome an injury that has ended others' careers. I've waited and wondered if he did come back, would he have the same qualities that made him the ACC's all-time leading rushers and one of the most exciting players in college football? I saw it Wednesday and I'm excited to see it, again and again, this season.
J.P. Shadrick, Jaguars Senior Reporter/Editor …
I'm interested in what happens on the offensive line in the coming weeks. Left tackle Cam Robinson and right guard Brandon Scherff are the slam-dunk starters. Early in camp Tyler Shatley is at left guard and rookie draft pick Luke Fortner is getting first-team reps at center. Walker Little and Jawaan Taylor seem to be rotating reps at right tackle. We will really get to start seeing this when pads go on over the weekend, as one-on-one pass rush drills against a talent-laden defensive front seven become the focus.
Ashlyn Sullivan, Jaguars Team Reporter…
Cornerback Tyson Campbell made a huge jump by the end of last season … and he just made another jump during training camp. Campbell had two pass breakups during team period Wednesday, one defending Marvin Jones Jr. and the other on Zay Jones. After his second pass breakup, he yelled "It's like Chick Fil A on a Sunday," referring to his side of the field being closed. I loved seeing this kind of confidence from a second-year player who dealt with a lot of scrutiny during his rookie year and was relatively quiet about it. Campbell is a player who is really easy to root for and the Jaguars need him to continue to play at this level as he will be the starter along with Shaq Griffin. The defensive line got after it Wednesday as well; I counted three "would-have-been" sacks – two from Josh Allen and the other from Dawuane Smoot. I think the argument can be made the offense is holding onto the ball a little too long, causing the defensive line to be the highlight of Wednesday practice. We will really be able to tell if that is the case come Sunday when the pads come on.
