The Jacksonville Jaguars’ draft picks from the 2022 NFL Draft hit the field for the first time at rookie minicamp, which kicked off on Friday. Their top selections like No. 1 selection Travon Walker and third-round pick Chad Muma all had the chance to speak with the media afterward.
Muma talked about what it was like to take the field with the Jags’ other Round 1 pick, Devin Lloyd, and reunite with his Wyoming teammate and running back Trey Smith III, the son of former Jags receiver Jimmy Smith.
Jacksonville signed Smith as an undrafted free agent on Thursday.
“Having Devin [Lloyd] and I out there and be able to really communicate and really communicate with each other and really push each other, that’s kind of something that we talked about going into today,” Muma said. “From here on out it’s just to push each other every single day to really get ourselves better and always [have] that communication aspect where we’re making both the calls and we’re having that leadership on both sides of the defense.”
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson made the interesting move to double-up on interior linebackers in the draft. They traded back into Round 1 to take Lloyd and selected Muma two rounds later despite that. They also signed former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Foyesade Oluokun in free agency.
Because of all these additions at linebacker, the competition for playing time and the starting spot next to Oluokun should be fierce. It appears Muma and Lloyd understand that as well. Muma said after he was drafted that he eventually wants to be the captain of the defense and carry that green dot helmet.
When speaking about his former college teammate in Smith, Muma said he was an energizer bunny for the Cowboys and always motivated the team. He believes that he’ll bring that to Jacksonville, too.
“I think Trey Smith [III] is a great player,” he said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s a great leader also on our Wyoming team back in the past.”
It will be interesting to see if Smith somehow finds a way to make the Jaguars’ final 53-man roster. He will have a lot of competition to work through as the Jags have several players fighting for position under Travis Etienne and James Robinson, including fifth-round pick Snoop Conner.
“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment.
