Jaguars 2022 training camp preview: Quarterbacks
With training camp two weeks away for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s time to start previewing every position on the roster. Of course, the place to start that process is the quarterback position because it’s the position that is the most important on the field.
Last season, the Jags were able to select Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick, giving the fanbase the type of elite prospect they’ve long needed to revitalize the franchise. Unfortunately, they didn’t pair him with the right coach out of the gate and ended up having to make a coaching change in December.
This time around, it appears they have a much better fit for the team in terms of the coaching change that was made as it should especially help Lawrence and the quarterbacks room as a whole. Here is a preview of the position as the Jags will enter camp with Lawrence and three other quarterbacks:
Trevor Lawrence
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) jokes with fellow quarterbacks as he participates in an offseason training activity Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
There won’t be a player on this roster who people will be watching more than 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, as many are on the former Clemson stars bandwagon. A big reason for that is because it seems he now has the right pieces around him after the team moved on from Urban Meyer and replaced him with Doug Pederson.
Pederson is a former NFL quarterback himself, who played in the league for 10 seasons. He also has 12 years of NFL coaching experience. Seven of those seasons were as an assistant, and the other five were as a head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, who he won Super Bowl LII with.
Those accolades make him more qualified to coach Lawrence, who is coming off a rough rookie campaign that Meyer didn’t help him much in. Lawrence completed 59.6% (159-of-602) of his passes for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 17 picks. That’s a stat line he’d like to forget, but there were some bright moments to come from it, like Week 17’s surprise victory over Indianapolis.
Those are the moments that Pederson and his staff will look to build on as they help Lawrence take another step. After seeing the work he did with former first-round pick Carson Wentz in Philly, and the work he did with other veterans like Michael Vick, it appears positive things may be on the horizon for Lawrence in Year 2.
C.J. Beathard
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback C.J. Beathard (3) looks to pass and is apparently hurt on the play while participating in an organized team activity Monday, June 6, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Florida Times-Union]
The Jags signed C.J. Beathard last offseason to be their backup quarterback, but he only got to see the field for seven regular-season snaps as Lawrence was healthy for much of last season. Despite that, Beathard does have a decent amount of experience on the field as he started in 12 games and participated in 19 before coming to Jacksonville.
Beathard, who is entering his fifth season, will come into this season with a 58.7% career completion rate (293-of-499) for 3,502 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 picks. The QB2 role should be his to keep if he has the type of preseason he had last season where he completed 67.5% of his passes (27-of-40) for 309 yards for three touchdowns and a pick.
He will have some competition on his hands, though, with Jake Luton and undrafted EJ Perry on the roster. However, Beathard has three times the amount the starts as the former, while the latter is entering his first year and has no experience.
Jake Luton
Aug 14, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Jake Luton (6) throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Luton was a sixth-round selection for the Jags in 2020 and got his only three career starts up to this point as a rookie. He will enter this season with a career completion percentage of 54.5% (60-of-110) for 473 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Luton was picked up by Seattle in 2021 after the Jags cut him to make their initial 53-man roster, but they later released him and he joined the Miami Dolphins briefly. However, this February, Luton returned to the Jags through a futures contract and will now push Beathard to be the Jags’ QB2. A strong preseason could help him achieve that, but he may be more of a practice squad candidate if he struggles.
EJ Perry
Jaguars (4) quarterback E.J. Perry during Friday’s Rookie Minicamp. The Jacksonville Jaguars held their first Rookie Minicamp on the turf of TIAA Bank Field Friday afternoon, May 13, 2022. Among those in attendance were the team’s 2022 draft picks. [The Florida Times-Union]
EJ Perry was an interesting addition for the Jags after the draft process as he initially agreed to terms to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, it seems he changed his mind when the team signed Nevada rookie Carson Strong and the Jags ended up gaining an extra quarterback as a result.
Jags coach Doug Pederson loves developing quarterback rooms as a whole, and Perry is the perfect candidate to be a developmental project for the team. He’s a player who had an interesting collegiate journey after initially starting his career at Boston College before eventually joining the football program at Brown University.
Last season, he was 295-of-444 (64.4%) and threw for 3,033 yards while adding 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. That led to him getting an invite to the East-West Shrine Game this offseason. During the all-star game, 13-of-18 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns. He also was able to score through two two-point conversions in the process.
Perry has good athleticism, and that will likely be on display this preseason. If he can sync up his arm talent with it, he’d give the staff a lot to think about this preseason, but it feels like he is a player teams would like to take their time with by stashing him on the practice squad for a few years.
