JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jaguars rookie linebacker Quincy Williams will miss four to six weeks after suffering a meniscus tear in his right knee, the team announced Thursday.
Williams, the team's third-round draft pick, was the leading candidate to replace Telvin Smith as the starter at weakside linebacker. Smith previously announced he was taking the 2019 season off for personal reasons.
Coach Doug Marrone said Williams, who suffered the injury during Thursday's practice, had been getting the most snaps in practice of any defensive player. Williams has been further along in his transition from Murray State to the NFL than the coaching staff expected he would be at this point.
Marrone said the plan is that Williams will be ready to start the regular season.
"Our expectation is that he'll be ready and we'll have him out there for the first game," Marrone said.
Marrone said he appreciates Williams' approach thus far.
"What I really love is that you have a player [and ask him], 'Hey, how's it going? I know you're taking a lot of reps, how's it -- ' 'Coach, I need the reps. I want the reps, I need the reps,'" Marrone said. "To me, l like when a player has that type of mentality, he knows it. I think what we see is, are there some mistakes out there? Absolutely. But what you see is as soon as the mistake's made, boom, recognize that I have to do that better. That's important, because you're going to go through those types of pains. No one is going to go out there and not make any mistakes and not do anything."
Marrone also created a bit of a stir among the players when he said that Williams might be the fastest player on the team once the ball is snapped.
"I mean, when you watch him, he is fast," Marrone said. "I know Dede [Westbrook] will be pissed. There will be a lot of the receivers that'll be pissed off, but I'm just telling you now. And you guys know, you're seeing it -- I mean, he is fast. Fast."
The Jaguars were already thin at linebacker. Free-agent acquisition Jake Ryan was placed on the active/non-football injury list before camp began because he had a setback in his recovery from a torn ACL. Free-agent signee Ramik Wilson likely will move into Williams' slot until he returns.
Marrone said on his radio show Thursday evening that rookie tight end Josh Oliver suffered a hamstring injury during Thursday's practice, but he will have a better idea of how long Oliver could be out after getting the results of an MRI. Oliver, one of the team's two third-round picks, had been off to a solid start to training camp.