While the Miami Dolphins will be without their top cornerback Byron Jones for Thursday Night Football, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be without their top receiver in D.J. Chark Jr. On Thursday afternoon, the team announced that Chark had been downgraded to OUT after he sat out of Wednesday’s practice session and was ruled questionable on the final injury report.
WR DJ Chark Jr. (chest/ back) has been downgraded to OUT and will not play in tonight’s game.
— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) September 24, 2020
Despite the loss, receiver is luckily a strength for the Jags and there is still plenty of talent within the group to flourish. Likely taking Chark’s snaps will be Keelan Cole, who is currently second on the team in receiving with 105 yards. Cole also leads the team in touchdowns on the season with two.
With Chark out, the Jags’ top-3 receivers alongside Cole will be Chris Conley, Laviska Shenault Jr., and Collin Johnson. The team has Dede Westbrook awaiting his first appearance after being ruled inactive for Weeks 1-2.
Cole, has 18 career starts and could still prove to be a problem for the Dolphins’ secondary. Jones’ replacement, Noah Igbinoghene really struggled Sunday against the Buffalo Bills and allowed seven completions for over 140 yards and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. Additionally, Shenault has been playing at a high level, too, currently holding the top grade for rookie receivers in the league.
Laviska Shenault Jr. among rookie WRs:
▪️ Receiving grade: 72.9 (1st)
▪️ Contested catches: 3 (1st)
▪️ Rushing yards: 47 (1st)
▪️ Dropped passes: 0 pic.twitter.com/rSts9lqQW3— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 24, 2020
