The Jacksonville Jaguars started off preseason with a 28-23 win over the Dallas Cowboys that featured impressive performances from Nathan Rourke, DaVon Hamilton, and others.
Star quarterback Trevor Lawrence shook off an early interception to lead the Jaguars down the field for a touchdown and two-point conversion. But there’s no reason for Jacksonville fans to care too much about Lawrence’s preseason performance. It’s the rookies who deserve the most attention in August.
While training camp will reign supreme in determining who makes the 53-man roster, preseason is a big factor and it’s the first chance for many fans to see how the newest additions to the roster fit in.
So how did the Jaguars’ massive 13-player draft class perform Saturday night? Let’s take a closer look:
OT Anton Harrison (B+)
All #76 RT Anton Harrison snaps from Preseason game 1
SNAP #8 😵 pic.twitter.com/nVZiWswJu0— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) August 13, 2023
Harrison gave the Jaguars plenty of reasons to feel great about using a first-round pick on him, and gave them reason to feel comfortable with him starting at right tackle.
In 12 pass blocking snaps, Harrison didn’t let anyone near the quarterback and looked patient, composed, and in control. When the Cowboys ran a stunt on fourth down in the red zone, Harrison and Brandon Scherff easily handled the situation and gave Trevor Lawrence all day to throw a touchdown.
If his run blocking was a little stronger on the night, Harrison would’ve had a grade in the A territory. During one play (1:02 on the above video), Dante Fowler Jr. blew past Harrison to stuff Travis Etienne Jr. for a loss.
It wasn’t a perfect performance, but a more than adequate one to kick off his career.
TE Brenton Strange (B)
Huge run by Tank Bigsby. Nice seal by Brenton Strange pic.twitter.com/OjOB62xy7c
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 12, 2023
Strange didn’t jump off the stat sheet with two receptions for eight yards, but he did a lot of good work as a blocker Saturday.
On fellow rookie Tank Bigsby’s biggest run of the day, it was Strange who sprung the running back free by forklifting a Cowboys defender on the edge and pushing him about eight yards toward the middle of the field.
Strange did pick up a holding penalty on one of his run blocks, but he looked like a player capable of holding his own as a rookie.
RB Tank Bigsby (B-)
Tank Bigsby vs Dallas Cowboys, Preseason Week 2.
Every rush attempt and pass protection snap. pic.twitter.com/kfgQguubxg
— Zareh Kantzabedian (@ZKantzFF) August 13, 2023
Jaguars fans who were hoping to see Bigsby zig and zag his way through defenders didn’t get that Saturday.
Instead, he struggled to find seams in the Cowboys defense early before finally taking advantage of a wide open cutback lane in the second quarter.
After the game, Doug Pederson told reporters that Bigsby played well once he “settled in and really started seeing the hole a little bit better.”
LB Ventrell Miller (C)
Miller’s night in Dallas will probably be best remembered for his sack of fellow Florida alum Will Grier.
The Jaguars’ fourth-round linebacker didn’t see action until the fourth quarter and was mostly ineffective after entering the game. PFF gave him a 30.0 grade for his play in nine coverage snaps, which included Miller picking up an illegal contact penalty.
Miller has been slowly working his way into the defense after offseason foot surgery, but it’s still very much a work in progress.
DE Tyler Lacy (C-)
Lacy was on the field for 35 snaps Saturday night, but didn’t do a whole lot to influence the game. He recorded one tackle after chasing down a screen from behind and picked up an illegal hands to the face penalty.
PFF gave him a 38.7 grade on the night and noted his run defense as the biggest area of weakness.
OLB Yasir Abdullah (B)
Yasir Abdullah sack pic.twitter.com/ofYfAo34oY
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 12, 2023
It wasn’t exactly a dominant performance by Abdullah in his preseason debut, but he showed the reason the Jaguars drafted him.
Abdullah generated two pressures including a sack early in the second quarter when he bent around the edge and chased down Cooper Rush from behind.
“I thought that Yasir stood out and had a couple of nice rushes, there,” Doug Pederson said after the game.
It may still be a while before Abdullah is ready to play every snap, but his immediate future as a rotational pass rusher looks promising.
S Antonio Johnson (B-)
If nothing else, Johnson found a way to be around the ball a lot Saturday night. His seven tackles were second most on the team.
Johnson’s coverage skills on the night dropped his grade a bit, but he looked like an enforcer who delivered loud, emphatic hits on every Cowboys ball carrier he encountered. He also provided value on 15 special teams snaps.
WR Parker Washington (C+)
Parker Washington makes a nice play in his first preseason game. 🦁🔥
— The Basic Blues Podcast (@BasicBluesPod) August 12, 2023
Washington showed a little wiggle in a few moments, but it doesn’t look like Jamal Agnew is in jeopardy of losing his return duties any time soon.
The sixth-round receiver managed to take four punt returns back for a combined 44 yards and added one reception on offense for 16 yards.
On a night when a lot of receivers were battling to be the fifth or sixth player on the depth chart, Washington didn’t particularly stand out, but didn’t exactly struggle either.
CB Christian Braswell (A)
Jaguars rookie Christian Braswell sits back and reads Will Grier’s eyes before jumping the route and making a great INT.
A sixth-round pick, Braswell is continuing the strong tradition of Rutgers DBs in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/F7fDa2p7V5
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) August 13, 2023
Braswell earned the highest grade from PFF among any Jaguars rookie on Saturday night.
The rookie defensive back was targeted three times in coverage and allowed two receptions for only 10 yards. When he dropped back into zone coverage on one snap late in the fourth quarter, he jumped in front of a Will Grier pass for a clutch interception.
The bad news is he picked up two penalties — one on defense and one on special teams. But it was a great first showing for Braswell.
Erick Hallett II (C)
Hallett didn’t stand out much Saturday night.
That’s not a terrible thing for a defensive back, as it’s usually not a great sign if they’re on the screen too much. But Hallett also didn’t make many impact plays.
Hallett missed two tackles on the night, which is the biggest concern, but more reps in the next two games will reveal more about the rookie defensive back’s readiness to play.
OL Cooper Hodges (A-)
Really like this rep by Cooper Hodges. Is able to get under 98 and create enough of a crease for Bigsby to cut back and get a nice gain through pic.twitter.com/Huznr0LAFh
— JP Acosta (Pug Dederson Stan Acct) (@acosta32_jp) August 13, 2023
After the game Saturday, Hodges told reporters that the level of play wasn’t overwhelming and he definitely belongs in the NFL. The tape backs him up on that.
The seventh-round pick didn’t look like a seventh-round pick as he more than held his own over a team-high 68 offensive snaps.
DT Raymond Vohasek (B-)
The Jaguars drafted Vohasek to be a space eater, but the seventh-round pick showed a little extra value Saturday when he recorded a pressure on Cowboys quarterback Will Grier late in the game.
Vohasek finished with a 58.7 grade on the night from PFF, which is certainly nothing special but landed a few points higher than veteran defensive linemen Folorunso Fatukasi (54.8) and Adam Gotsis (54.6).
FB Derek Parish (C)
Parish is a fun idea, but figuring out an actual, useful role for him in the Jaguars offense may prove more trouble than its worth.
The fullback played only nine snaps Saturday and didn’t show much to suggest Jacksonville needs to make space for a position it hasn’t had on the team in years. While PFF highlighted his pass blocking as the best part of his night, Parish will need to show significant value in at least one more area to stick around.
