Observations, players who stood out on Day 1 of Jaguars training camp

A recap of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first practice of training camp on Wednesday, July 29:

Player attendance

Did not practice (physically unable to perform list): LT Cole Van Lanen (right knee) and OT Garrett DiGiorgio (foot). A source said DiGiorgio will be out at least several weeks.

Limited practice work: RB Chris Rodriguez (foot) and CB Christian Braswell (lower body) are cleared medically but were limited to individual work. The Jaguars will ramp them up this week before giving them team snaps.

New injury: LB Jack Kiser (lower body) was injured on the fourth play of 11-on-11 work when he got tangled up on a rush by RB Bhayshul Tuten. Coen said Kiser was scheduled for an MRI after practice. “Very hopeful it will be shorter than longer, but don’t know exactly what it is at this point,” coach Liam Coen said.

Top plays

Rookie WR C.J. Williams made a nice sliding catch on a deep over route 20-plus yards downfield on a pass by QB Nick Mullens. Mullens would have been sacked by DE Josh Hines-Allen on the play, but regardless, Williams got open.

On the first play of 7-on-7, S Eric Murray showed good range to intercept QB Trevor Lawrence’s deep pass down the right sideline intended for WR Brian Thomas Jr. ( CB Buster Brown in coverage).

Sometimes, you need luck. Lawrence’s throw in 7-on-7 was broken up by Brown and deflected right into the belly of TE Brenton Strange for a long completion.

Thumbs up

DE Josh Hines-Allen: Working against the second-team offensive line, Hines-Allen showed explosion on several pass-rush reps.

Thumbs down

QB Trevor Lawrence: It was tough sledding for Lawrence, who had one completion during his 11-on-11 snaps and was intercepted on his first throw of the 7-on-7 period. He also threw high and incomplete to open TE Tanner Koziol down the left seam.

Dropped passes: WR Jakobi Meyers dropped a deep crosser from Lawrence, RB Ameer Abdullah dropped a check-down throw from QB Carter Bradley and RB LeQuint Allen Jr., a pass from QB Nick Mullens .

Odds and Ends

The Jaguars opened camp with 32 snaps of 11-on-11 and 10 snaps of 7-on-7.

RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. was on the field for the first time since sustaining a broken left foot early in the offseason program. He played one season at Kentucky when Coen was the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator.

Asked about the run scheme Kentucky vs. Jaguars, Rodriguez said: “I won’t say it’s a lot different, but it’s a lot more complex. The one year he was in Kentucky (2021), we were college guys and he probably couldn’t put everything in.”

Said Coen: “it was great seeing him out here with us. Chris is always kind of Chris. He has the same demeanor and the same way he approaches things and he knows we’re trying to ease him back into things. It’s a long training camp and a long season and we’re trying to get him back without any hiccups or bumps.”

Coen said free agent receiver Zay Jones took a physical when he visited the Jaguars on July 27.

“That’s exactly what it was; get him in, see what he looks like and just meet him,” Coen said. “I had never met Zay. He seems like a guy who has his head on (right) in terms of being a pro’s pro. He knows the league, he knows Trevor and he knows this space. We’ll see how things progress.”

Jones, 31, played 2022-23 for the Jaguars (116 catches) and played 19 games for the Arizona Cardinals over the last two years.

RG Patrick Mekari appears to be on a snap count like he was during the offseason program. He was unable to finish his last two games of 2025 (at Denver and vs. Buffalo) because of a back injury. Wyatt Milum took over for Mekari in practice.

QB Nick Mullens made two nice layering-over-the-linebacker throws deep middle to TE Hunter Long and WR Josh Cameron.

CB Jabbar Muhammad: One of the offseason program’s stars got off to a good start in camp with a pass break-up on Lawrence’s first pass of 11-on-11. But in 7-on-7, Muhammad was dusted on a quick slant route by WR Parker Washington .

July 30 schedule

Practice 8:30-10:15 a.m. and is open to the public. Fans can register on the Jaguars’ website for free tickets. The Aug. 2 and Aug. 9 practices are sold out.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Observations, players who stood out on Day 1 of Jaguars training camp

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