JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (13-4)
The Jaguars surprised nearly everyone in coach Liam Coen’s debut season. What will they do for an encore? Jacksonville returns 19 of 22 starters and believes it can make consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since 1998-99. The franchise failed to finish above .500 the last four seasons following double-digit wins (2000, ’06, ‘08 and ’18). To reverse that decades-long trend, the Jaguars will need to navigate
a more daunting schedule – they face four 2025 playoffs teams in the first six weeks and play two home games in London — and get more out of several first- and second-year players. QB Trevor Lawrence played his best football in five seasons over the final seven games of the regular season, throwing 18 TD passes and four INTs — and running for four more scores. Jacksonville won nine of 10 down the stretch to clinch the AFC South and a No. 3 seed in the playoffs. Losing to Buffalo 27-24 in a wild-card game provided plenty of offseason motivation, but it also highlighted Jacksonville’s lack of difference-makers at key positions. Getting more out of defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers, and two-way standout Travis Hunter seem like a must for Jacksonville to take a step forward.
RB Chris Rodriguez, DT, Ruke Orhorhoro, OG Emmanuel Pregnon, TE Nate Boerkircher, DT Albert Regis.
RB Travis Etienne, LB Devin Lloyd, S Andrew Wingard.
The receiving corps has the talent and depth to be among the best in franchise history. Thomas found his footing in Coen’s offense late last season and finished with 707 yards and two TDs a year after making the Pro Bowl. The addition of Meyers at the trade deadline last year, the emergence of fourth-year pro Parker Washington and the belief that Hunter will be a star on both sides of the ball gives Jacksonville a solid group with plenty of upside. Rookies Josh Cameron and CJ Williams also are waiting in the wings to show their training camp success was no fluke.
Jacksonville struggled to run the ball consistently down the stretch in 2025, finishing with less than 110 yards on the ground in five of their last seven games. The Jaguars let Etienne leave in free agency and are counting on Rodriguez and Bhayshul Tuten to carry the load this season. They also tweaked the offensive line during training camp, although many of the faces remain the same. Former first-round draft pick Anton Harrison moved from RT to LT, with rookie Pregnon sliding in at LG. Former LG Ezra Cleveland shifted to the right side, next to new RT Walker Little. Injuries to guard Patrick Mekari (back) and offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen (knee) made the moves necessary.
Hunter, the NFL’s only two-way player, got more defensive than offensive repetitions in training camp. He played a total of 274 snaps in practice, with 208 of them on defense, 65 on offense and one on special teams. He’s considered a starting cornerback opposite Montaric Brown and will open the season as the team’s No. 4 receiver behind Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner missed 10 games last season after tearing the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee during a bye-week practice. He was coming off his best offensive game as a pro, catching eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in a 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London, and the Jaguars were planning to use him as their No. 1 receiver moving forward. Now, he has the potential to become a No. 1 cornerback.
Washington has been the team’s best player during training camp, picking up where he left off last season. He totaled 26 receptions for 444 yards and three touchdowns in Jacksonville’s final four games, including three 100-yard outings. He also returned two punts for scores earlier in the year. There’s also this: the fourth-year pro is in a contract year, meaning he has reason to show out in 2026.
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