We’re officially in the long, quiet stretch of the NFL offseason. The Jags’ 2026 draftees are now all under contract, OTAs are underway, and the daily news cycle is largely fueled by training camp hype videos and speculative roster projections. It is the time of year when predictions are all we have until the players hit the field.
Coming off an AFC South title, the expectations in Jacksonville should be to take an even bigger step, but significant losses in free agency and a depth-focused draft have
left the roster with some question marks. The core of this team is locked in, but if the Jaguars are going to firmly defend their division title and make a serious Super Bowl push, success will depend heavily on the guys ready to take the proverbial “leap.”
Every summer, we predict breakout candidates, but finding players with the perfect storm of increased opportunity, flashes of talent, and schematic fit is where it gets interesting. This year, a few distinct names stand out, ranging from a returning superstar-in-the-making looking to bounce back from injury, to two rotational players that will be thrust into bigger roles thanks to free agency departures, and a newcomer via trade that could fill a key role on the defensive line.
Here are the four biggest breakout candidates for the Jaguars as we head toward the 2026 season.
Travis Hunter
The most obvious breakout candidate for the Jaguars in 2026 is Travis Hunter. Between the massive draft capital James Gladstone invested to trade up for him at number 2 overall and a rookie season that was largely lost to injury, it is a safe bet that the team wants Hunter to make up for lost time.
How the Jaguars manage his workload will be the real storyline to watch. By all accounts, the plan is for Hunter to line up full-time as the team’s top boundary cornerback. While Gladstone has reiterated that the long-term vision is still to let him play both ways and make an impact at receiver, it is safe to assume his offensive role will be far more situational this year.
Frankly, the writing is on the wall. The Jaguars’ wide receiver room is suddenly very deep following last year’s mid-season trade for Jakobi Meyers and the massive second-year emergence of Parker Washington. Add in the fact that management just drafted four different pass-catchers, and it is clear the offense has plenty of mouths to feed.
That works out perfectly for the other side of the ball. Hunter was already starting to look like a star before his injury. A full offseason focusing heavily on the technical nuances of playing corner in this system should go a long way for a Jaguars defense that desperately needs him to hit the ground running as an immediate lockdown asset.
Ventrell Miller
Devin Lloyd’s impact on this defense last year was massive, so his departure to Carolina in free agency has naturally been one of the biggest talking points of the Jaguars’ offseason.
When an All-Pro linebacker walks out the door, many assume the front office will prioritize a high-profile replacement, whether that means hunting for a splashy veteran signing or striking early in the draft. But the Jacksonville brass clearly didn’t see a glaring need there. Instead, they showed ultimate confidence in a guy they already have in the building, Ventrell Miller.
Miller has been a highly reliable rotational asset and spot-starter for a couple of years now, frequently flashing the traits of a competent NFL starter. When he was on the field last season, he was very good against the run, seemed to read the field well, and filled gaps with bad intentions.
That said, stepping into Lloyd’s shoes full-time is a massive litmus test. While Miller is a clear asset on early downs, Lloyd brought an enormous impact to the second level of this defense. For Miller to firmly secure this starting job opposite Foye Oluokun beyond 2026, his work in pass coverage and overall playmaking in space will need to take a noticeable step forward.
The opportunity sitting in front of him right now is significant. If his coverage catches up to his run-stopping instincts, Miller won’t just fill a void; he will be one of the definitive breakout players of the Jaguars’ season.
Bhayshul Tuten
Much like the Lloyd/Miller dynamic on defense, the hierarchy in the Jaguars’ backfield has shifted dramatically this spring. With Travis Etienne Jr. departing in free agency, the door has swung wide open for second-year back Bhayshul Tuten.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2025 draft out of Virginia Tech, Tuten quietly put together a highly encouraging rookie campaign. He found the end zone seven total times on just 93 touches, proving he has a natural nose for the goal line, while leading all rookies with a stellar 28.4-yard kickoff return average.
But what really got fans excited was how he handled the bright lights of the postseason. When his number was called in the Wild Card round against the Buffalo Bills, Tuten ran with supreme confidence, ripping off 51 yards on just four critical carries.
Now, nobody is expecting him to jump into a 25-touch-per-game bell-cow role immediately in year two. With veteran Chris Rodriguez Jr. expected to split the workload and handle plenty of touches in his own right, this backfield will operate as a true committee early on.
Still, the volume uptick for Tuten will be substantial. He has spent the early portion of OTAs getting comfortable in Liam Coen’s run scheme, which has a track record of maximizing explosive, compact slashers just like him. By a wide margin, Tuten is the most fascinating breakout candidate on the offensive side of the ball for Jacksonville in 2026.
Ruke Orhorhoro
The definitive wildcard of the Jaguars’ offseason was a rare, old-school player-for-player trade. In mid-April, the front office shipped out 2024 second-round pick Maason Smith to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for another third-year defensive tackle, Ruke Orhorhoro.
It is a classic “change of scenery” swap for two highly drafted players who just hadn’t found their footing yet. But in Orhorhoro’s case, you can easily argue his lack of production in Atlanta wasn’t due to a lack of ability—he was just playing out of position. The Falcons spent a large chunk of his tenure plugging his 294-pound frame directly over the center at nose tackle.
In Jacksonville, the former Clemson Tiger is expected to move back to his natural home at 3-tech, filling the penetrating interior role this defense has been trying to upgrade for years. When allowed to use his natural get-off and burst in college, Orhorhoro was a menace, tallying 11.5 sacks over his final three seasons. Even while fighting out of position and navigating an injury-shortened rookie year in Atlanta, he still managed to show flashes, pocketing 3.5 sacks last season.
The jury is obviously still out on whether a simple uniform swap will solve everything. But if you are looking for a breakout environment, Orhorhoro has it. Moving to a more favorable scheme while getting to rush next to absolute foundational pieces like Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and Arik Armstead gives him the ultimate runway to finally explode.
Who do you think is primed for a breakout, Jaguars’ fans?
