'Old-young guy': Christian Kirk talks return to form, leadership for new-look Jaguars

Going into his third season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, wide receiver Christian Kirk doesn’t feel much different about his role.

There’s been a lot of turnover at the position with several new faces joining the roster this offseason.

The team added Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay via free agency, and selected Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the draft last month.

Calvin Ridley left in free agency, they opted to release Zay Jones and did not re-sign Jamal Agnew, making Kirk the most senior player at the position.

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But to the seventh-year pro, he’s always been the “old-young guy” on the team.

“I've been in it for a while. But still only 27, it's a little odd at times,” Kirk said as the Jaguars concluded the first day of organized team activities. “You’ve kind of got to play both sides. But now our room has gotten tremendously younger.”

Kirk’s 2023 campaign was cut short due to a core injury he suffered in December. He worked his way back from injured reserved but couldn’t return for the season finale against the Tennessee Titans.

The first part of his offseason was spent focusing on recovery and he got married in April — a life-altering decision according to him. Now, he’s back on the field and determined to return to form.

“I feel like the offseason has been forever for me. Injuries are more mentally challenging than anything. It tests your mental, but it can kind of callus your mind,” he said. “Putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and pushing through.

"Like I said, adversity, but I'm just excited. Got a chip on my shoulder, ready to wake some people back up and remind them the type of player that I am.”

Taking a step in leadership: Kirk is striving to be open with his teammates

A major point of emphasis for Kirk last season was stepping more into a leadership role with the team. Coming into a new season, he still wants to be a leader, and this year his leadership will be vital for the newer players on the roster.

“Veteran leadership in every room is key, especially in that one because we do have some young players in there," head coach Doug Pederson said of Kirk on Monday.

During his recovery from injury, Kirk was still active with the team. He spent time talking with quarterback Trevor Lawrence before games and would talk with the receiving core on the sideline during the game.

It’s a quality that makes him one of the most valuable players to the team. Now that he’s recovered and the veteran presence in the room, he’s leaning into the role even more.

“The biggest part about being a leader is knowing the people that you're leading. And knowing how they respond to certain things, adverse situations, whether it's coaching [or] advice,” Kirk said. “Just getting to know them, what makes them tick and just being open book for them and giving them my experiences that I've had and giving them all the tools that I can to help them be successful.”

Kirk provides early analysis on Brian Thomas Jr.

One of the players Kirk is getting to know is Thomas, who drew the eyes of several observers that wanted the first-look at how he meshed with the full team Monday.

At 6-foot-3, 209-pounds, he brings a size that the Jaguars didn’t have on the roster previously and he displayed some of his skills that made him a first-round selection. His route running was refined, he displayed good hands and the ability to extend for catches.

According to Kirk, Thomas is quiet, but has picked up the system well and is adjusting to being a professional quickly.

“I thought he did a great job today. I think from a technique aspect, he's really advanced,” he said. “For how tall he is and how fast he could run, how he's able to get in and out of his breaks is really impressive. I think the biggest thing just for rookies is just getting used to the speed of everything.

"You're breaking the huddle faster. You're hearing the play call faster and everything just takes a little bit of getting used to and I think he's picking it up fast and he's only gonna get better from here on out.”

Likes the construction of the wide receiver room, endorses Parker Washington

With the amount of turnover this offseason, it’d be easy for Kirk to not have a clear picture of the new-look wide receiver room. But he endorsed it, giving a rundown of the strengths of each of his teammates.

“I think it's built really well. I think we have a lot of guys that can do a bunch of different things,” he said. “Obviously, Brian and his speed, his height and his dynamic ability to stretch the field but also run routes. Gabe’s more of a physical presence, but also can stretch the field as well make some of those contested catches.”

He even endorsed 2023 sixth-round pick Parker Washington — a player who could see more of the field in his second year in the system.

“You got guys like Parker, he’s good underneath, intermediate catches,” Kirk continued. “I think we're built really well, and we have a lot of young talent that I think is only going to get better. I'm excited to watch them grow throughout the offseason.”

And though he didn’t include himself, Kirk shouldn’t be forgotten. His first season in Jacksonville he set career numbers in catches (84), receiving yards (1,108) and touchdowns (8).

If he returns to form, coupled with the new additions to the wide receiver room, the Jaguars will have one of the best pass catching cores in the NFL.

“On a personal level, I feel like I'm getting back to where I should be and where I want to be,” Kirk said. “Looking forward to bouncing back and having a good season.”

Juston Lewis is a Jacksonville Jaguars beat reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on the website formerly known as Twitter at @JustonLewis_.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars WR Christian Kirk endorses Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis