The Jacksonville Jaguars rebounded in a big way in their final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, utterly dominating with a 19-0 win. There were strong performances all around, with Jacksonville showing improvement from their 34-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers the week prior.
There were fewer penalties, and the Jaguars also showed much better ball security, tighter performances, and overall, Jacksonville controlled the game from the very beginning.
DE Bryan Thomas Jr.
While the defense was strong as a unit, Thomas stood out above everyone else. He had five tackles, three solo, as well as 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss. It was exactly the performance he needed to turn in before roster cuts are made.
Thomas was facing an uphill
battle to make the final 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent (UDFA), but he has been impressive throughout training camp and the preseason, and capped it off with his best performance yet in the Jaguars' final preseason game.
Thomas Jr.
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 29, 2026
BRYAN Thomas Jr. 🍸#TBvsJAX on FOX30 https://t.co/lv4FJk7wo1 pic.twitter.com/9znNgxJ1UO
WR Michael Wortham
Despite the loss to the Panthers, Wortham had a strong performance, and he repeated that effort again. He flashed on special teams in particular, with a 35-yard punt return, followed by a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. But that wasn't all; he tied with Hunter Long for the most receiving yards (47).
Like Thomas, Wortham is a UDFA fighting to make the final roster. He will still have a difficult time, solely because of how deep the Jaguars' wide receiver room is, but he has turned in so many impressive performances across training camp and the preseason that he should be assured of a spot on the practice squad, if nothing else.
K Cam Little
It's no secret that Little can kick a monster field goal by now, but it's still impressive each time he does it. And in this game, he gave Jacksonville their only score in the first half, with a 61-yard field goal. Though Little has kicked longer field goals, 61 yards is still nothing to sneeze at.
DE Wesley Williams
Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker lead the Jaguars' pass rush, and nothing is going to change that. But who will rotate in behind them to provide depth is still a question, and Williams, a fourth-round draft pick, has been performing well all summer. That continued in Jacksonville's victory over the Buccaneers, with a fumble recovery on Tampa Bay's 15-yard line.
It's expected that Williams will not only make the active roster, but help elevate the defensive end room as well.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 4 Jaguars with standout performances in preseason win vs. Buccaneers
