JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Here are five players and five things to watch in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ preseason opener on Friday night against Pittsburgh at EverBank Field:
Five players
QB Blake Bortles: Bortles has looked much more accurate in camp thanks to his mechanical fixes, but how will he fare in live action, especially since the left side of the offensive line still is questionable?
LT Luke Joeckel: It’s not fair to judge him based only on one-on-ones in camp, but he has had some issues. He has also had snaps where he has performed very well, too. Joeckel doesn’t have to be an All-Pro. He just needs to be an average player. There’s some doubt -- outside the organization, anyway – whether he’s even that at this point.
CB Nick Marshall: The Jaguars may have found a gem in Marshall, the former Auburn quarterback who came to the Jaguars’ coaching staff on the first day of Senior Bowl practices and asked to move to corner. He has the size the Jaguars like in their corners (6-foot-1, 210 pounds), and coach Gus Bradley loves his attitude.
DE Chris Smith: He has been one of the surprises of camp. He has gotten more reps with Chris Clemons and Dante Fowler Jr. out,and he has taken advantage of them. He doesn’t have the size the Jaguars want in their leos (pass-rushing defensive ends) but he has long arms and is very quick off the edge.
TE Julius Thomas: He’s clearly the Jaguars’ most gifted pass catcher. It’ll be interesting to see how much Bortles targets him. The two have to develop chemistry together and while they’ve gotten off to a good start in camp, that’s no substitute for game situations.
Five things
The punt returners: Tandon Doss likely will get first crack and he is the favorite to win the job since he led the NFL in punt return average in 2013 before missing the 2014 season with an ankle injury. Expect to see Bryan Walters next.
The kicking battle: This may be a little overblown, but it’s still interesting to watch. Jason Myers got people buzzing last Saturday by hitting a 60-yarder in the scrimmage, but he missed several makeable field goals in Monday’s practice. Josh Scobee has been one of the more reliable kickers in the league, especially from 50-plus yards.
How does the left side of the offensive line perform? Joeckel and LG Zane Beadles had their problems in 2014 and for the first two drives of last Saturday’s scrimmage things didn’t look much better. However, the group settled down after that and the offense got moving. There’s no question about center and the right side but if the left side struggles against Pittsburgh that’s a big concern.
The receiver battle: The top three spots are set (Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns), but there’s a scramble for the remaining two (or possibly three) spots among Greene, Doss, Arrelious Benn, Tony Washington, Damian Copeland, Bryan Walters, Kasey Closs, and Greg Jenkins. Benn and Washington have been the most noticeable in camp.
The new cat: Curtis Dvorak may have retired as Jaxson De Ville, but the mascot lives on. Will there be any zip-lining from the light towers or parachuting into the stadium?