JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser's notes and observations as RB Leonard Fournette and DE Yannick Ngakoue speak to the media on Day 7 of Jaguars 2018 Training Camp at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex …
1.It's not hard to find a Jaguars defensive player that passes the eye test so far in '18 camp. But it's equally difficult to find one that passes it as easily as Ngakoue. Not that Ngakoue hasn't been good in his first two NFL seasons. He has registered 20 sacks, including 12 last season, and there may not be a defensive end in the NFL better at forcing turnovers with strip sacks and pressure on the quarterback. Ngakoue has looked consistently strong in pass rushing drills, showing the speed and outside edge technique that made him a Pro Bowl selection last season and continuing to show the drive that has led defensive end Calais Campbell to say Ngakoue could soon be the NFL's best pass rusher. "I definitely feel different," Ngakoue said. "I put in a lot of work, a lot of focus, and it's not just about that. It's about the film study, so I'm really just trying to take that even more serious, putting even more time in. … It's my third year in the same defense, in the same scheme, so I know what to look for now just watching formations in my opponent and seeing their different tendencies and things like that." …
2.Ngakoue on Thursday discussed his '18 camp battles with second-year left tackle Cam Robinson, a second-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. "I tell him all the time I'm going to make him the best left tackle in the league," Ngakoue said. "I don't ever hold up on him. I always go hard. I'm 100 percent because that's what he needs." Robinson started 15 games at left tackle as a rookie and three more in the postseason, and spent the offseason focused on gaining strength and bulk in the weight room. "He's way more physical from his rookie year, the sets, and he's very smart too," Ngakoue said. "Now he's giving me different types of looks, different types of sets. Last year he'd give me the same sets, so you can definitely tell he's starting to put more tools in his repertoire, so I'm very impressed. Like I said, he's going to be a real good tackle." …
3.Fournette spent much of his media availability Thursday discussing his leaner frame, but he also discussed how his running style might be affected by playing 15 pounds lighter than he did a year ago as a rookie. Fournette said he absolutely expects to maintain his power, but said he might run out of bounds more than he did as a rookie. The idea wouldn't be to avoid contact, but to reduce wear and tear. "It depends," Fournette said. "If the out of bounds is right there, I have to take it." Fournette was asked if stepping out of bounds would be difficult considering his propensity to initiate contact. "Not really," he said. "It comes with the experience of your game. I think we practice that a lot more. Also, that is what our OC [offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett] wanted, for me to save my body." …
4. One of the coolest off-field moments of '18 camp came Thursday when Fournette stepped away from the field for a few minutes during a break early in practice. Fournette threw a football back and forth with fans in the stands several times, then moved toward the stands with the ball. After gesturing toward and receiving approval from Jaguars public relations standout Andy Esworthy, Fournette handed the ball to a young fan and walked away as the crowd cheered. "It just brings you back to that place when you were a little kid," Fournette said. "Me growing up, wishing that I went to open practices for NFL teams, to meet NFL guys and just giving those kids the opportunity, which was something I didn't get as a kid. It is just using my abilities and talents the best that I can."
