The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked off the 2025 season with a fairly easy win over the Carolina Panthers as they never trailed on their way to a 26-10 victory.
It was a complete team effort as the team won in all three phases of the game, and while the stars were the driving force of the victory, the 2025 rookie class made a significant impact in this one.
In fact, every draftee that wasn’t on the injury report saw action on Sunday and they all contributed in some way to the win. Let’s dive into how each
rookie fared in Week 1, and we’ll kick things off with The Unicorn himself, Travis Hunter.
Travis Hunter
After missing most of the preseason with a minor injury, it was unclear just how adept to the offense Travis Hunter would be in his first real game action of his career but those questions were quickly answered as he received two targets on the very first drive of the game.
He finished the game with a team-high eight targets as he hauled in six of them for 33 yards on the day. While those numbers aren’t eye-opening by any means, they do show that Liam Coen and the Jacksonville passing attack want to prioritize getting the ball in his hands to set him up with catch-and-run opportunities.
On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter played just six snaps which didn’t really allow for much of a glimpse at his ability in coverage. He allowed one catch where he helped to clean up the tackle afterwards for his only registered stat on defense.
Bhayshul Tuten
Rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten saw minimal work in the backfield on Sunday as he had just three carries on the day. However, the first carry of his career really highlighted what he can provide this offense as he made something out of nothing on his way to an eight yard gain.
His decisiveness in the face of traffic to get lateral and burst through the open hole is something that has been an inconsistent trait amongst Jacksonville running backs for a while. If he can sprinkle plays like that into this offense consistently, then his role will only continue to increase – especially after the recent Tank Bigsby trade.
Jack Kiser
The fourth round linebacker out of Notre Dame didn’t register a defensive snap on Sunday but he did see 13 special teams snaps. While he didn’t notch anything in the stat column, Kiser is coming off of an impressive camp and preseason where he beat out veteran Chad Muma for that final LB4 spot on the final roster. While it was a quiet outing, Kiser should have opportunities to make an impact as the season progresses.
Rayuan Lane
Like Kiser, safety Rayuan Lane was primarily used on special teams on Sunday as he saw 13 snaps on that unit where he tallied one tackle on the day.
Lane’s ability to be the first man to the ball on the punt and kickoff united flashed all preseason and that will be the expectation for him all season. The team released long-time gunner Daniel Thomas this offseason in favor of the rookie out of Navy so they clearly have high expectations for him in that role.
Jonah Monheim
The special teams train keeps on chugging as Monheim saw most of his work with the specialists as well, although he did come in for both kneels downs at the end of the game so he registered two “offensive ” snaps.
The USC product held up well on the kick coverage unit and will continue to be the primary backup to starting center Robert Hainsey for now.
LeQuint Allen Jr.
There is an argument to be made that the Jaguars’ last draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was actually the most impactful rookie not named Travis Hunter on the day.
LeQuint Allen Jr. played 11 total snaps with nine coming on offense where he tallied one rush for seven yards and one reception for four yards. However, it was his pass protection out of the backfield that really stood out.
His anticipation and willingness to engage with free rushers could be a huge factor in Liam Coen’s offense which could lead to the seventh rounder being a major factor on this team going forward.
Let us know your thoughts on the rookies in the comments below!
