The Jacksonville Jaguars will try to wrap up their preseason slate with an undefeated record on Saturday night when they host the Miami Dolphins.
While the Jaguars are suddenly dealing with a rash of injuries, head coach Doug Pederson is “still full steam ahead” on his plan to play the team’s starters for the entire first half.
With Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr., Calvin Ridley, and co. getting a full half of play against the Dolphins, who should Jaguars fans be keeping a close eye on Saturday?
Here are five Jaguars players to watch closely against Miami:
OL Walker Little
Walker Little, a 2021 second-round pick, spent most of his first two seasons on the sideline while Cam Robinson and Jawann Taylor started at tackle. Now he’s a couple weeks away from being the Jaguars’ starter at left tackle in Week 1.
What the team will do after Robinson’s four-game suspension ends in October remains to be seen, but it’ll be Little holding down the blindside at least for the first month of the season.
The Jaguars may give Little a few more reps at left guard Saturday night, but it’s more likely that he’ll spend the entire first half at left tackle in the team’s last dress rehearsal. His performance could shed some light on his readiness for the job.
TE Brenton Strange
Jaguars second-round pick Brenton Strange has put together a relatively strong preseason, earning the best PFF grade of any rookie tight end in the NFL through the first two weeks.
Strange has shown himself to be an adept blocker and a capable pass catcher, but how many snaps will he get in an offense loaded with talent at the skill positions and a star tight end in Evan Engram?
With the Jaguars’ first-team offense expected to play for the first half, Strange’s involvement on Saturday will be telling of his role.
CB Tre Herndon III
If Jaguars coaches are to be believed, the battle between Tre Herndon III and the hard charging Gregory Junior for starting slot cornerback duties is still up in the air.
There’s not much more the latter could do Saturday after forcing a fumble, recovering a fumble, and recording an interception in the first two preseason games. The ball is in Herndon’s court.
The sixth-year veteran was on the field for just seven snaps against the Dallas Cowboys and sat out the entire second week against the Detroit Lions. He’ll finally be on the field for an extended period against the Dolphins and needs to show up if he hopes to hold off Junior.
LB Devin Lloyd
There are high expectations for Devin Lloyd in his second season after a proper offseason and a stellar training camp. But like the aforementioned Herndon, he simply hasn’t seen the field much in preseason.
Lloyd was on the field for nine snaps against the Cowboys and sat out the entire next week against the Lions along with the rest of the starters.
On Saturday, Jaguars fans will get to see Lloyd 2.0 in action against a fast-paced and high-powered Dolphins defense with speed all over the field.
DT Raymond Vohasek
It’s tough to know how long DaVon Hamilton will be out of action due to the “non-football related medical issue” with his back. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson has offered positive updates, but also said it’ll be Adam Gotsis and Jeremiah Ledbetter filling the void in the mean time.
The question is whether Raymond Vohasek is in line for a roster spot now. The seventh-round rookie is the only nose tackle on the depth chart aside from Hamilton and earned positive reviews from Pederson for his play against the Lions.
Will the Jaguars work Vohasek into the mix early with Hamilton and Folorunso Fatukasi both sidelined? And will he be up to the task with a big opportunity in front of him? Saturday could provide some answers.
