As training camp draws closer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, one of the more interesting names to track at linebacker is Branson Combs.
The offseason assumption has been that Ventrell Miller would slide into the starting spot next to Foye Oluokun, and that still may be the most likely outcome. But Combs has clearly put himself into the conversation, too, and he’s not just hanging around as depth.
That’s especially true after the spring work. John Shipley of Jaguars on SI called Combs a “true riser” and said the “expectation” should be that he’ll be competing for the starting job. That’s a pretty strong signal for a player who entered last season as a UDFA and eventually worked his way from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
Once he got that chance, Combs became a steady special teams piece. He played 193 snaps across 11 games and contributed in four of the six different phases, a sign the Jaguars trusted him to do a little bit of everything on the back end of the roster.
Now the next step is obvious: can he turn that into a real defensive role?
Liam Coen sounds intrigued by what Combs brings. “Just low-key, he's pretty athletic, like he's explosive,” Coen said.
“He can do multiple different things in terms of coverage abilities, whether it's in man or zone. I like him in coverage.
So being able to communicate at a high level is what he's needed those reps.”
That’s the camp storyline here. Miller may still be the favorite, but Combs has earned a look, and training camp will tell us whether he’s simply a useful special teams player or someone who can push for much more.
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