First Impressions on All 10 of Jaguars Draft Picks After Rookie Minicamp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- First impressions are not everything in the world of the NFL, but that doesn't mean the appetite for them will ever go away.

The Jacksonville Jaguars held the second of a three-day rookie minicamp on Saturday, and we were able to get our first impressions of each of the Jaguars' 10 draft picks. So, what did we make of each player after we saw the first glimpse of them under head coach Liam Coen and his staff? We break it down below.

TE Nate Boerkircher

The highest-drafted rookie in the Jaguars' class, there were a lot of eyes on rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher on Saturday. Considering what the practice was and the fact that a large part of his game can not be showcased without pads, it still felt like a fruitful and productive outing for the No. 56 overall pick.

There were no offensive vs. defensive drills so everything was on air, but Boerkircher did look natural as a catcher and looked like a player who should be a safe target in terms of ultimate reliability. We will know how much of a threat he can be downfield and in the red-zone as the offseason and training camp progress.

DL Albert Regis

You will hear us say this over and over again, but rookie minicamp is just that. It is a great chance for the rookies to learn from their position coaches and get some hands-on experience on the practice field, but it is hard for many players to make a succint and clear impact due to the lack of pads. That is especially true for defensive linemen like Albert Regis.

With that said, Regis did at least show all of the traits the Jaguars already said they loved about him. He ran around with a red-hot motor drill in and drill out and it is clear the Jaguars are going to enjoy the way he goes about practice. He was one of the best character guys in the entire draft class, and he practices like it.

OL Emmanuel Pregnon

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was asked about his first impression of third-round guard Emmanuel Pregnon and he summed it up nicely: "Yeah, large man."

Pregnon certainly looked the part at minicamp which, again, is all players can really do at the end of the day. Without pads on, there was no chance for offensive linemen to really make a clear impact, but the Jaguars' three rookie offensive linemen were put through the wringer in terms of drills with offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett, run game coordinator Brian Picucci, and assistant offensive line coach Trevor Mendelson.

Pregnon is a massive player at the position and will automatically be one of the Jaguars' most physically imposing offensive linemen from the first day of pads. It was hard to judge much else of what he did without knowing exactly what the team was asking him to do in each drill, but he at least looked like the high-ceiling giant the Jaguars thought they were adding.

DB Jalen Huskey

The Jaguars are set to have a fascinating safety room in 2025. Eric Murray is a long-time starter in the NFL, Antonio Johnson truly ascended a year ago, Rayuan Lane played well on both defense and special teams, and now the Jaguars are getting back former third-rounder Caleb Ransaw after he missed his rookie year with a foot injury.

Now, the Jaguars are adding third-round rookie Jalen Huskey to the mix, and his usage will be interesting to watch all year. It might be hard to find snaps on defense due to the aforementioned veterans, but he looked explosive and violent in Saturday's controlled setting, which leads me to believe he could be a special teams favorite early on.

DE Wesley Williams

It is hard to really judge defensive linemen in these settings because they are in helmets and basketball shorts. Without pads on, all you can really judge is how a player looks from an athletic traits perspective, and that does not mean all that much until the act of contact is actually brought into the fold.

With that in mind, Williams certainly did not look like a player who didn't belong. He looks like he has the NFL-ready frame the Jaguars have prioritized at defensive end, and it is easy to see why there could be some comparisons with his skill-set to Dawaune Smoot's or Emmanuel Ogbah's from a year ago.

TE Tanner Koziol

It was already expected that Tanner Koziol would stand out as an athlete at a practice like Saturday's, so perhaps it is unfair to count it twice. Koziol tested well at the combine, looks plenty athletic on tape, and is closer to being a jumbo-sized receiver than he is to being a true tight end who will live on the line of scrimmage.

But that was how impressive Koziol was, at least to me. It was not a practice with many competitive reps, but he looked like the best athlete the Jaguars had among the four tight ends they brought to practice. Again, this was already expected, and it does not exactly translate to tight end success as a whole. Seeing it in person, though, left an impression. He can really move.

WR Josh Cameron

Josh Cameron worked to the side for the Jaguars on Saturday, which was to be expected after Jaguars general manager James Gladstone noted as much following the draft. It remains to be seen when he will be able to practice on a full-time basis, but it was worth noting that the Jaguars' other two players in rookie camp with punt returning experience were undrafted free agent receivers Michael Wortham and Trebor Peña.

Cameron, of course, was traded up for in the sixth-round and thus would likely have an edge over both options as long as he performs as expected in training camp. The undrafted rookies look like some depth for the Jaguars to develop on the practice field in the short-term, but Cameron should be the long-term answer at punt returner.

WR CJ Williams

If there was one player in the Jaguars' draft class who there was simply not much information out there on, it was sixth-round receiver CJ Williams. This was odd considering he was a highly-touted four-star recruit who played for Wisconsin, USC, and Stanford in his career. It needs to be said that it was just one practice and it was all on air, but Williams certainly didn't look like a deep sleeper on Saturday.

Even in the context of what a rookie minicamp practice represents, Williams stood out in a big way on Saturday. He made several impressive catches on the sideline that showed balance and control, and he also looked more explosive as a route-runner and overall athlete than I think many were giving him credit for. He is firmly one to watch.

DE Zach Durfee

The biggest thing that stood out about seventh-round defensive end Zach Durfee is just what kind of skill-set it looks like he is bringing to the room. Fellow rookie defensive end Wesley Williams has a bigger frame than Durfee and just looks like a more naturally powerful player, which makes sense when you consider his role and production at Duke and how the Jaguars have discussed his projection.

Durfee, meanwhile, looks like he has the frame of a change-up pass-rusher who can give the Jaguars a bit of a spark off the edge. Williams' skill set is closer to that of Danny Striggow's, while Durfee's quickness looked similar to B.J. Green. Durfeee very well could find a role at some point in the season on obvious passing downs, while Williams looks like he will quickly be able to work himself into the early-down rotation.

LB Parker Hughes

Out of all 27 rookies the Jaguars had on the field on Saturday, seventh-round linebacker Parker Hughes was the only linebacker on the minicamp roster. This is to not say the Jaguars do not have young linebackers elsewhere on the roster; Branson Combs and Jack Kiser are each going into their second seasons, but they were clearly not going to be among the seven veterans the Jaguars had in rookie minicamp.

That is good news for Hughes, who will obviously have to fight for a spot on the roster as a seventh-round draft pick. For all the hoopla that was made about the linebacker position this offseason, Hughes being the only one in linebacker drills on Saturday really hammered home how the Jaguars feel about the spot.

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