3 Jaguars' players to watch in Week 2 preseason game vs. Saints

The Jacksonville Jaguars will face the New Orleans Saints on the road in Week 2 of the preseason. So, who are a few players that we should be keeping our eyes on in this matchup?

As of this time, we do not know if the Jaguars‘ starters will be playing. Following Friday’s practice, head coach Liam Coen still had to make that determination.

“We gotta go get this injury report because I don’t want to do too many ‘you’re playing, you’re not playing,’ that kind of deal,” Coen said after Friday’s practice. “So we need to make sure that if we are putting Trevor–we need to make sure we’re protected and we have the right guys in front, and the same with the runners, things like that. Just making sure we’re not putting people in vulnerable spots because we are injured.”

So to ensure that this article stays relevant regardless of what decision Coen makes, we will focus on players who we anticipate seeing on the field no matter what, but ones who also find themselves still competing for a roster spot or playing time.

For three under-the-radar players to watch for, you can find that here.

WR Eli Pancol

There is, for sure, one and maybe even two roster spots up for grabs at the receiver position, and Pancol seems to be in that mix.

Josh Cephus has steadily made plays throughout camp, while Trenton Irwin provides added experience on the back end of the receiver depth chart and special teams help.

Pancol, however, in addition to the obvious prerequisite of catching the ball that comes with being a receiver, he has stood out when it comes to the dirty work that is required of this position in Coen’s offense. This includes blocking, going in motion, and helping on teams, like any back-end of the depth chart player has to do.

“Same thing with Eli,” offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said early in training camp, “who’s worked really hard at knowing the playbook, knowing his role, embracing his role. Doing different things that maybe don’t always flash in terms of some of the catches and big plays that you see with other guys, but dirty work with blocking, motion, shifting, setting things up. Things that influence the offense and run game in a significant way, but might not always be seen on a surface level.”

Against Pittsburgh in the preseason opener, Pancol caught two of his three targets for 28 yards.

RB Bhayshul Tuten

Tuten is going to factor into the Jaguars’ offense this season. The question at this time is, how much?

That answer could ebb and flow as the season goes on, dictated by matchups and who has the hot hand in the backfield. But the starting point for that conversation won’t be solely determined by what happens in the preseason games, but that will be a key factor.

In the opener, Tuten carried the ball six times for 24 yards with a touchdown. While we know he has home run ability with his 4.32 speed, he also showcased his physicality as a ball carrier as well.

“I thought he ran it pretty well, actually,” Coen said on Monday. “From a physicality standpoint, if you’re going to take the positive from the other night, was on both sides of the ball was physical. We stopped the run and we ran it okay, but we ran it when we kind of needed to–it became a little bit more of a throw game. But I thought he did some nice things. He was able to make some guys miss in the hole. He ran hard, he had good ball security, so I was pleased with Tuten.”

LB Jack Kiser

Kiser is competing with Chad Muma for one of the backup linebacker roles behind Devin Lloyd and Foye Oluokun. On the Jaguars’ unofficial depth chart, one of the backup spots is listed as Muma or Kiser.

Like any rookie, Kiser is still navigating the ups and downs that come with being a first-year player. Coen recently referenced some plays in the team’s scrimmage on Thursday that Kiser would like to have back. However, he’s also flashed fairly regularly as well, which has earned Kiser opportunities with the second unit in camp.

In the preseason opener, Kiser made all three of his tackle attempts, recorded one stop, and wasn’t targeted in coverage, according to PFF.

He also comes to the NFL with ample special teams experience from his time at Notre Dame. This phase of the game is likely where Kiser’s biggest impact comes as a rookie, but if he proves that defensivley he can relied on if called upon, that could put Muma’s roster spot in jeopardy.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars preseason: 3 Rookies to watch in Week 2 vs. Saints

3 Jaguars’ players to watch in Week 2 preseason game vs. Saints

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