The Jacksonville Jaguars will take the field for their first preseason game of the year Thursday which will put to rest months of anticipation — kind of. With it being the first week of the preseason, Thursday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens will be more so to evaluate most of the non-starters and those pushing to start, and the Jags have a lot of players wholly for both categories.
Here are some players on offense who will need to impress out of the gate:
QB Gardner Minshew II
When Minshew was drafted in April, it was clear the Jags liked his football IQ and believed he could develop into a solid No. 2. Long story short, he’s impressed them on the field since his acquisition, which resulted in them slotting him as Nick Foles’ primary backup on the first unofficial depth chart.
Right now, Doug Marrone says he hasn’t made a decision on if he’ll play Foles Thursday, but in taking an educated guess, it would be wise to sit him because it’s not worth the risk, especially with their current status at offensive tackle. If that happens, Minshew will get plenty of snaps to further impress the staff as he’s had great command of the huddle and has made some highlight throws here and there.
QB Alex McGough
Like Minshew, McGough could benefit from Foles sitting out because he’s essentially battling to replace Tanner Lee as the practice squad quarterback, or maybe even battle for the No. 2 spot if Minshew doesn’t meet expectations.
Unfortunately, McGough hasn’t necessarily stood out in camp, but those who’ve watched him at least like his arm strength. That said, he’ll need to work on pulling the trigger a little sooner to stick around, and practicing against a well-coached team like the Ravens could help him with that issue.
WR DJ Chark
Thursday’s game will present Chark, who was the Jags’ second draft pick of 2018, with his first opportunity for a clean slate after a tough rookie year. He’s arguably been the team’s most impressive receiver not named Dede Westbrook in training camp and a good start to the preseason could further boost his confidence.
Additionally, Chark is listed as the starting kickoff returner on the unofficial depth chart, so he’ll need to prove himself there, too. A few good returns and fielding the ball cleanly without any muffs would bode well for him as he battles Benny Cunningham and several others for the spot.
RT Jawaan Taylor
The Jags frequent changes at right tackle during camp have been rather puzzling and it’s time to settle someone in at the spot. Taylor got a significant amount of snaps with the starters on Monday to begin the week against the Ravens, however, they tried Cedric Ogbuehi there a great deal Tuesday.
It’s unknown who will start in Thursday’s battle, but regardless, Taylor needs to make the most out of his snaps, which should be plentiful. He’s been solid in camp for the most part and taking snaps against a well-coached defensive team like the Ravens should only sharpen him heading forward.
TE Geoff Swaim
The Jags are looking like they won’t have Josh Oliver to begin the regular season as Marrone labeled his recent hamstring injury “significant.” That means it’s now on Swaim to lead the pack as a veteran free-agent acquisition.
Early in camp, some thought he got off to an iffy start (particularly as a receiver), but lately it sounds as if he’s been much better. That said, he’ll need to continue to show up as a blocker, while also proving that he can be a go-to tight end through the air as John DeFilippo’s scheme relies heavily on the position and so does Foles.
