The arrow continued to point up for rookie tight end Josh Oliver Thursday. After stacking up multiple practices in which he was limited, he was upgraded to full participation. If he doesn’t suffer any setbacks Friday, that likely indicates he’ll make his debut Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
A debut Sunday would be huge for both Oliver and the Jags because they are hurting at the tight end position. James O’Shaughnessy was placed on injured reserve after Week 6’s game against the Carolina Panthers after tearing his ACL, and Geoff Swaim is on the injury report after entering the concussion protocol against the New Orleans Saints and spraining his ankle.
Oliver was one of the Jags’ third-round selections (No. 69 overall) in this year’s draft. He built a good rapport with fellow rookie Gardner Minshew II during organized team activities, minicamp and training camp, and with him coming off his toughest outing against the New Orleans Saints, he could use a big target. That said, it will be interesting to see what offensive coordinator John DeFilippo could draw up for Oliver, as the Jags’ rookie class of 2019 has produced for the team.
