Jacksonville is pushing the maximum capacity of its receiver room this offseason, and standing out among the crowd is no easy task. Competing for targets with players like D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones Jr. and media darling Laviska Shenault Jr. is hard enough, and when you add in depth like Phillip Dorsett, Jamal Agnew, and Collin Johnson, you’re left with an uphill battle to even snag a roster spot.
Still, a pair of late additions to the offseason roster (both former first-round picks) are standing out. Laquon Treadwell has reportedly had a very solid camp, and now Tavon Austin, who the team picked up last Friday, is also making a statement.
The speedster has been a factor in the receiving, rushing, and return game throughout his career, but he’s struggled to set himself apart in any of those categories. He spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, but he only saw game action for the latter. In four appearances, he managed just five catches for 20 yards.
But First Coast News’ Mia O’Brien listed Austin as one of her standouts from Wednesday’s practice session. She said that at his first practice on Saturday, he caught three of the first four passes of the session, and that success continued on Wednesday when he made four catches with two touchdowns.
“Tavon’s had a nice two days that he’s been here,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said, per O’Brien. “I think it’s good for him that he is a veteran. So he’s been in some different offenses, so some of the stuff came a little bit easier for him… so he’s been able to stand-out.”
Austin caught touchdowns from both Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew on Wednesday, with his catch from the former requiring him to show off some footwork in the endzone to get two feet in bounds. O’Brien also reported that in Sunday’s scrimmage, he saw some handoffs, as did Agnew.
Jacksonville can only keep so many pass-catchers on the roster, and inevitably someone will become a casualty. But it seems that Austin is making that decision difficult for the coaching staff with his play, at least so far.
