Mandatory minicamp has come and gone, and the Jacksonville Jaguars now begin to enjoy some well-earned down time until it's time to report to training camp in late July.  

Without the benefits of players being in full pads, it's not always obvious in minicamps and offseason activities to tell who is making the most progress during the offseason.

However, there were some players who stuck out in a positive way during minicamp and/or saw opportunities emerge that will favor their abilities or circumstances once fall camp begins.

Devin Lloyd

As far as his mental improvement and development from last year, defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell noted in minicamp that he's liked what he's seen from Lloyd.  

"You look at him, he's been here when the other vets were let go and he's really, I wouldn't say taking his game to another level, but you can see the increase. He's playing faster out there than he was when the vets were here and he's just a guy that he's seen it before. It's starting to slow down for him. He's anticipating and he's playing real well for us right now." – Mike Caldwell via John Shipley, Jaguar Report

Doug Pederson also noted this offseason that Lloyd is working to get more involved as a pass rusher.  Lloyd excelled as a pass rusher at Utah, totaling 8 sacks in 2021, which led all PAC-12 linebackers.  With more flexibility and a noted improvement in his anticipation and overall play, it's apparent Lloyd's game has improved, and his trajectory is pointing up as minicamp concludes. 

Tank Bigsby

The Auburn rookie turned heads in rookie minicamp last month, especially with his hands.  His receiving skills hadn't really been his selling point in draft reviews and outlooks, so that was a pleasant surprise for those that were in attendance.  Bigsby reportedly continued to impress last week in the team's mandatory minicamp, with his hands again being the story.  

If he can continue to live up to the hype he built in rookie minicamp and now again in mandatory minicamp, the rookie could find himself on the field quickly in his career. 

Nathan Rourke

He may have been the only QB at camp, with Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard excused, but that didn't stop him from catching positive attention.  Rourke, according to multiple observers, showed off good arm strength during the minicamp. Rourke played college football at Ohio University.  After going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, he spent the last 2 seasons in the Canadian Football League.  In 2022 he set the league's record for completion percentage (78.7%) and turned in the second-best passer rating ever (123.6) which earned looks from several NFL teams.  Rourke eventually signed with the Jaguars in January 2023.  

Adding zip to an already proven track record of accuracy only strengthens the young quarterback's chances of sticking around as QB3 on the practice squad this fall.  With the league's new rule allowing an emergency QB3 to dress on gameday, Rourke helped himself last week to see himself in a Jaguars' uniform this fall.  

New Jaguar’s hands turn heads at rookie minicamp

One player stood out among his peers at Jacksonville’s rookie minicamp

Featured image via Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK