7 Things to watch for during Jacksonville Jaguars' minicamp

Jacksonville Jaguars' minicamp will run from Tuesday, June 10th, through Thursday, June 12th. So what should have our eyes on over these next three days?

Minicamp is the conclusion of offseason programs and is the last time the entire team will be together until training camp begins, which is often around the third week in July.

However, one major difference with minicamp compared to OTAs and Phases I and II of offseason programs is that attendance is mandatory. If players do not show up, the team can then fine them.

Through the offseason programs, Liam Coen has been very pleased with the roster's participation during that voluntary portion of the offseason.

“Very high. Very pleased," said Coen via Jaguars on SI. "Very appreciative of the guys for being here, taking the time, knowing that it is voluntary, but it's definitely setting a positive standard right now."

As always, there will be plenty to watch for, but here are the seven big things that'll be on my radar.

What to watch for during Jacksonville Jaguars' minicamp

Continued progress during the "learning phase": Coen called this portion of the offseason the "learning phase," with the offense learning an entirely new scheme. Right now, the Jaguars are building towards playing in September, so the emphasis has been on laying a strong foundation with proper fundamentals, technique, and communication. It's expected during this time of the year that the defense will be ahead of the offense, but strides are being made with the Jaguars putting together their "most balanced" practice last week during OTAs. As Trevor Lawrence has described, this offense gives you all the answers, but it puts a lot on the players as well, and with that comes a steeper learning curve.

How many defensive days for Travis Hunter: As we were told by Coen and James Gladstone after the draft, Hunter would be onboarded at the wide receiver position, so that is where the bulk of his practice time has come up to this point. Defensively, Hunter has been learning the playbook, terminology, and in meetings since he arrived in Jacksonville, and when on the field, the focus has been on fundamentals, technique, and communication. Coen has said that at this time of the year, Hunter will spend the entirety of a practice on just one side of the ball. So I would guess, over the three minicamp days, he plays one position once and the other twice, but do the Jaguars flip the script and give Hunter more time on defense this week?

"Milo (secondary coach Ron Milus) came up to me after practice and said, 'Can we have him more?'" Liam Coen said of Hunter. "That's a good thing. We were in the red area last Friday, and he didn't end up making any plays on the ball, but just the movement skills in some of the man coverages, the feel in zone, you can definitely see how natural it is for him.

"Still learning, still growing, still trying to learn the calls as much as possible," Coen added, "but when you see him on the actual 7-on and team setting, he doesn't look out of place by any means."

Offensive line rotation: So far, we've seen a heavy rotation along the offensive line as the Jaguars search for their best starting five configuration. With six new additions made to the offensive line this offseason, and a lot more versatility, it ramps up the competition and the number of offensive line combinations that the Jaguars can experiment with. If the Jaguars had to play this Sunday, Coen knows who he would start, but with time still on Jacksonville's side, he is going to stress test every possible configuration in order to put the best five players on the field.

The running back room: I think we can fairly safely say that Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne, and Bhayshul Tuten will be at the top of the running back depth chart. I also think that we will see all three players touch the ball throughout the season. But who emerges as RB1 from this group, I believe is still up for grabs and will be determined over the summer. Also, keep an eye on this position in the passing game. The Tampa Bay running backs under Coen last season were integral parts of the passing game.

Jarrian Jones and Montaric Brown: Tyson Campbell will be at one of the outside cornerback positions and Jourdan Lewis will primarily be in the nickel. However, playing time at that second outside corner position is still up in the air. Both Jones and Brown have seemingly gotten off to fast starts during OTAs. Jones is a player that Anthony Campanile is "really fired up" about, while Brown has caught some attention with his ability to make plays on the ball. Also in this mix will be Travis Hunter. In Campanile's malleable defensive scheme, my guess right now is that we see a bit of a rotation amongst these three players, depending on who the opponent is and what the matchup dictates.

The defensive line rotation: We know who the Jaguars will rely on heavily up front, but the defensive line unit is a heavily rotated position with four or sometimes even five players at both the tackle and end positions seeing regular playing time over the course of a season. So when it comes to those third, fourth, and maybe even fifth spots in the rotation, who is getting those reps and who is making the plays? I also anticipate seeing more movement up front as well, with players lining up in different gaps.

Who is starting next to Eric Murray? Whoever is starting next to Murray during minicamp doesn't mean that player will be the starter come Week 1. I'm guessing that this week and throughout the summer, we'll see Caleb Ransaw, Darnell Savage, and Antonio Johnson all getting that opportunity. In Green Bay's defense, where Campanile spent the 2024 season, interchangeability at the safety position was a key element, meaning that player had the ability to play deep, in the box, and from the nickel. If Campanile wants that same element at the safety spot on his defense, we may see a lot of movement amongst this position, and whoever brings the most well-rounded skill set may win the job.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jacksonville Jaguars' minicamp: 7 Things to watch for