After six long months without football, the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars kick off the 2022 NFL preseason in Canton, Ohio with the Hall of Fame game, which takes place this Thursday, August 4th. The Raiders are honoring legends Cliff Branch and Richard Seymour, and the Jaguars have their first-ever Hall of Fame inductee in Tony Boselli.
Both teams had big offseason changes. The Jaguars are now led by former Super Bowl champion head coach Doug Pederson. The Raiders have new head coach Josh McDaniels who was under Bill Belichick as the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator.
As expected, both teams will likely hold out their starters, but this gives the young players a chance to stand out and prove why they deserve a roster spot.
“It’s going to be exciting just to get the team on the field against another opponent obviously,” said Pederson. “And then for the first time for all of us with the coaches and new players and really the whole team. So, we’re looking forward to that.”
Both teams have rookies and empty roster spots that we will be keeping eye on.
Let’s first dive into a few players to watch in the 2022 preseason opener!
Jaguars: Travon Walker, outside linebacker
Even though the Jaguars are holding out several starters this Thursday, there is a chance that Travon Walker could see the field. This might be the most anticipated yet unproven first overall pick that we have seen in a while.
Despite only registering six sacks his final year at Georgia, the expectations are still high for the rookie. So far in camp Walker has shown control with his incredible speed and length against rookies and veterans.
So far in camp, Walker has been nothing short of impressive. As the Jaguars are running a 3-4 defensive scheme, Walker will be standing up on the edge on the other side of Josh Allen. Here is what defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi told Jaguars reporter Demetrius Harvey on Saturday:
“Sponge. He’s soaking everything up. He’s working his tail off. He’s, asking the questions the older guys,” he said. “And as long as he keeps that mindset, he’s going to be around for a while. As long as he continues to apply himself, which I feel he’s going to do. But he’s a sponge. He’s learning as much as he , and he’s applying it.”
It would be ideal for him to show his dominance early on against NFL talent in this first preseason game. If Walker gets any snaps on Thursday, be…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Falcons Wire…