Just how much can we learn from Saints' joint practice with Jaguars?
· Yahoo Sports
With Jaguars coach Liam Coen announcing that he won't play his starters in the first preseason game every one of these practice reps becomes that much more valuable. This is the Saints' first chance to pit their best against their opponent's best. And with that in mind, here are four matchups we'll be watching closely:
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Saints WR Jordyn Tyson vs. Jaguars CB Travis Hunter
Hunter has secured his place on top of Jacksonville's depth chart at cornerback, and he's looking to build off of a rookie year full of encouraging moments but short on game tape after he was shut down with a knee injury after Week 7. Similarly, Saints fans had to wait to see Tyson until the Saints opened up training camp because they kept him on ice throughout the spring to rest an injured hamstring. Now both young pros are playing well. Seeing who comes out ahead should be one of Thursday's biggest draws.
Jaguars LT Anton Harrison vs. Saints EDGE Chase Young
Harrison started the last three seasons at right tackle, and he has looked like the Jags' best blocker regardless of position. But now he's lining up on the left side (where he played in college at Oklahoma) while projected starter Cole Van Lanen deals with an injury. This is a great test for Young against one of the league's better young tackles. The Saints are eager to see Young take the next step after breaking out with ten sacks last season. He's talked a lot of trash and taken on a more vocal role as a leader during practice. Winning his battles with Harrison would be tremendous.
Saints RT Taliese Fuaga vs. Jaguars EDGE Travon Walker
Walker has caught some heat for not being as effective a pass rusher as the guy drafted right behind him (Aidan Hutchinson), but he's consistently won his matchups with the Jaguars' right tackles at training camp and is exactly the type of high-end athlete who gave Fuaga trouble last season. Fuaga did have to fight through a couple of different injuries last season so proving he can stand up to one of the Jags' top edge rushers would inspire real confidence. Josh Hines-Allen is one to watch, too, but it sounds like he's mainly rushing off the right side of the formation (and against Saints left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.).
Jaguars WR Parker Washington vs. Saints CB
Washington broke out last season with 65 catches for 954 yards and six touchdowns (including thee playoffs), quickly asserting himself as one of Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets. He split time in the slot with Jakobi Meyers but was targeted more often when he did line up inside, leading Jacksonville in yards (458) and touchdowns (3) by healthy margins. He'll be the one to watch when the Saints roll out their nickel personnel with safety Jonas Sanker manning the slot. He's had his hands full with Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson rotating into the slot throughout training camp, but getting to work against another team's talent will show us if he's ready to hold it down when the season starts.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Just how much can we learn from Saints' joint practice with Jaguars?