JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Brenton Strange definitely “heard the noise” as a rookie last season.
The second-round draft pick from Penn State was supposed to be another pass-catching option for Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars, a guy who could shoulder some of fellow tight end Evan Engram’s heavy workload.
Instead, Strange finished with five receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown while missing three games and being slowed in several more because of a foot injury.
“I heard the noise,” he said. “At some point, it did bother me a lot.”
He was hardly alone. Jacksonville’s 2023 draft class was mostly an afterthought last year. First-rounder Anton Harrison started all 17 games and was stout at right tackle, but Strange, third-round running back Tank Bigsby and the rest of the rookies barely contributed.
Year 2 should be a different story for the guys who are essentially second-year rookies.
“That’s what you get when you’re in a position that I’m in,” Strange said. “I like the expectations. Everyone has expectations for me, but my expectations are even bigger. I want to do great things. I want to be the best.”
Strange and Jacksonville’s fellow second-year pros will get a chance to show their progress when the Jaguars host defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City in a preseason game Saturday night.
Both teams plan to play starters for as much as a quarter before giving way to youngsters and backups. It could be an ideal stage for Strange, Bigsby, fourth-rounders Ventrell Miller and Tyler Lacy and others.
Like Strange, the Jaguars had high hopes for Bigsby as a rookie. But the former Auburn standout, the 88th overall pick in 2023, fumbled twice in his first 24 touches and tipped a pass that resulted in an interception in the season opener.
“They tried to label me as somebody that fumbles,” Bigsby said. “But it’s all good. I continue to keep my faith up and just say, ‘Go to work, go to work and get better.’”
Bigsby was eventually benched in favor of D’Ernest Johnson midway through the season, but the rookie showed promise with a pair of decent outings — 13 carries for 48 yards — to close out the regular season.
“That gave me a lot of confidence,” Bigsby said. “One thing I learned about last year is the NFL is about opportunities. When you get an opportunity, take full advantage of it and just roll with it.”
Finding more opportunities is the goal for Miller, Lacy, pass rusher Yasir Abdullah (fifth round), safety Antonio Johnson (fifth) and receiver Parker Washington (sixth).
Miller missed last season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon in the team’s preseason finale. Lacy played only 145 snaps over 15 games. Abdullah was inactive for the final 12 games. Johnson was sidelined early but started the final three games and showed enough potential that Jacksonville decided to release veteran Rayshawn Jenkins in March and pencil him into a starting role.
Washington won’t start but could play significantly as the team’s No. 4 receiver behind Christian Kirk, rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis. Washington caught 16 passes for 132 yards and two scores in 2023. He also had two miscues that led to Lawrence getting hurt in games.
“It’s been cool to see his transformation and how good he looks, honestly,” Lawrence said. “I’ve been really impressed. … He can kind of do everything. He’s great after the catch, too. That’s going to help us a lot.”
The second-year guys agree that the transition from college to the NFL is daunting, especially with a 17-game schedule that follows months of draft prep and a summer of cramming to learn a new playbook while navigating a pro path.
Jacksonville now has eight 2023 draft picks who will be starters or backups this fall, significant progress from a year ago. It just took time — and patience.
“Going into Year 2, there is confidence there,” coach Doug Pederson said. “We understand their ability and what they can do. As coaches, we have to plug them in and see where they can help us.”
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