Jaguars OTAs: Lessons Josh Allen Learned and Luke Fortner makes Rookie Adjustments

NFL OTAs are underway across the country, essentially a spring practice for professionals. A couple of Cats are trying to hit the ground running as the Jacksonville Jaguars clean up the mess left by Urban Meyer.

Josh Allen‘s career got off to a hot start, recording 10.5 sacks months after he was taken in the top ten of the 2019 NFL Draft. Since his rookie season Allen has just 10 total sacks and the Jaguars have a 4-29 record. Injuries and Meyer can be blamed for both, but Allen shoulders some of that responsibility.

“I’m trying to craft myself, find myself again, find that mentality, that mindset for how I want to approach the game,” he told The Florida Times-Union. “I feel like I lost that in bits and pieces. I still had that dog but it wasn’t at a consistent level.” 

When that dog came out to play, Jacksonville won. Josh Allen sacked and picked off Buffalo’s Josh Allen in an upset of the Bills. He helped the Jags play spoiler and keep the Colts out of the playoffs with two sacks in the season finale. Entering his fourth season after the team picked up his fifth-year option, that adversity is now what drives the former Wildcat to succeed.

“I went through the worst … it can’t get worse that what we’ve been through,” he said. “But I know how to get through adversity, so come talk to me.” 

Rookie Changes for Fortner

Life comes at you fast as an NFL rookie. The Jacksonville Jaguars believe Luke Fortner can be Trevor Lawrence’s center for the foreseeable future, but learning that role is much easier said than done. In a conversation with Joe Thomas on the NFL Network, Fortner discussed what it takes to make the jump from the SEC to the NFL.

“First and foremost is the complexity and the volume of stuff you have to learn, be familiar with in the offense,” said the former Kentucky center. “Number two, it’s cliche, but the speed of the game. It obviously speeds up incredibly. Everything goes a little faster: the quarterback is making calls faster, the offensive line is moving faster, the defensive line is moving faster. It’s the speed of the game and mental capacity for sure.”

Fortner must learn a lot before the NFL season begins this fall. It’s a good thing that nobody loves learning more than Luke.