The first week of Jaguars training camp has already pushed the roster picture around, and by the time Day 7 rolls in Thursday, there are a few spots that look a lot different than they did when camp opened. With a four-day stretch and a team scrimmage on Friday coming up at the Miller Electric Center, the early practices have offered enough clues to redraw the 53-man projections.
At quarterback, the shape of the room is pretty straightforward. Trevor Lawrence remains the franchise guy, and camp has looked like camp usually does for a starter of his caliber: some sharp days, some rough ones.
Behind him, Nick Mullens has flashed at times as the backup, even if the starting defense has given him plenty of trouble too. Carter Bradley appears to have the edge over Joey Aguilar for the QB3 role on the practice squad, though Aguilar has delivered the more eye-catching throws in the first week.
Running back doesn’t bring much mystery either. The Jaguars already knew who their top three backs would be, and the real questions were whether Chris Rodriguez Jr. would make it back from injury in time and whether the team would keep four on the active roster.
Rodriguez looks on track for Week 1, but carrying a fourth back still seems unlikely. If Jacksonville did go that route, Ameer Abdullah would be the name to watch.
Wide receiver has been one of the loudest success stories of camp so far. This group came in with the chance to be one of the strongest in the building and one of the better receiver rooms in the league, and early practices have backed that up.
Every wideout on this list has already had at least one big day. Brian Thomas Jr. has looked like a different player than he did a year ago, and Parker Washington has been making splash plays and getting behind the defense almost every day.
The rookie tight ends are getting real work with Trevor Lawrence and the starters, which says plenty about how Jacksonville plans to use them. The Jaguars don’t seem interested in easing them in slowly.
Brenton Strange should also have a bigger role in the passing game going forward. For the fourth tight end job, Quinton Morris still looks like the one to beat.
Up front, Cole Van Lanen is the major variable. If he opens the season on the PUP list, he won’t count against the 53-man roster and would have to sit out at least the first month.
In that scenario, Chuma Edoga would slide in as the No. 9 offensive lineman. The starting right guard and left tackle jobs are still unresolved, but the overall active roster picture on the line feels pretty clear.
The defensive end group has been exactly what the Jaguars were betting on when they leaned into youth this offseason. Behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, a whole wave of young pass-rushers has shown flashes. That coaching staff development gamble is paying off so far, with multiple young ends making their mark at different points in camp.
Inside, the defensive line has held up well too. Matt Dickerson and Ruke Orhorhoro have both been active playmakers, and Orhorhoro has emerged as one of the biggest risers of camp. Albert Regis is expected to be brought along slowly as a rookie.
Linebacker is where things get messy. Jack Kiser’s injury knocks him off this projection for now, though the expectation is that the Jaguars will use some roster gymnastics to keep him around with an injury designation.
The team has already said he is week-to-week and should return at some point in camp, but the position group is thin enough that this may be the only realistic path. That opening could also help rookie Parker Hughes work his way onto the roster or at least the practice squad.
At cornerback, Travis Hunter has been getting plenty of reps to open camp, and the expectation remains that he will be Jacksonville’s top corner. The more interesting battle is for the other spots.
Jabbar Muhammad may have done enough to edge Christian Braswell, who has been dealing with an injury to start camp. The Jaguars know what Braswell can provide, but this one may come down to numbers.
Safety has been one of the busiest and most productive groups in camp. Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson both picked off passes on Day 6, and Jalen Huskey has been turning heads lately as well.
Caleb Ransaw has also been on the field for a heavy workload. Overall, the group looks as strong as expected, and nobody has emerged as a true sleeper pushing for a roster spot.
Special teams, meanwhile, has brought no surprises. The Jaguars have one of the best trios in the league, and camp has played out that way.
Cam Little has not missed a field goal in team drills since camp began, and he looks on track for another big season. Whether that turns into more records will play out over the coming weeks and months.
In Other News...
Jaguars Camp Is Starting To Reveal Two Important Offensive Answers
The Jaguars shorter practice Thursday offered a little more clarity on an offense that has been sorting through plenty of moving parts in camp. Trevor Lawrence was sharper with his accuracy, which is the sort of encouraging sign Jacksonville wants to see as the quarterback settles into the offense, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. continued to make his case in short-yardage work. The coaching staff also kept mixing and matching along the offensive line, especially on the right side, where jobs are still being sorted out.
Ventrell Miller added a defensive highlight by forcing and recovering a fumble, but the more interesting takeaway for Jacksonville may be how the offense is starting to answer a few important questions. Camp has a way of turning competition into clues, and the Jaguars are still balancing line combinations with the need for a reliable power option near the goal line. For now, Thursday felt like one of those practices where the shape of the offense is coming into focus, even if the final picture is not there yet. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Camp Battles Are Already Turning Up Tough Roster Decisions
After the first week of training camp practices, the Jaguars are already staring at some uncomfortable roster math. A cluster of familiar names has surfaced on the bubble at several spots, from running back Abdullah and receivers Austin Trammell and Tim Jones to tight ends Quintin Morris and Hunter Long, along with offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, defensive lineman Matt Dickerson and cornerbacks Preston Hodge and Devon Marshall.
The pressure is no lighter on defense, where Jalen McLeod, Yasir Abdullah and Parker Hughes are all in the mix at linebacker, and the staff still has room to sort out how it wants to trim the depth chart. Jacksonville has more practices and preseason games left to sort through those calls, but early camp has already made clear that a few of these competitions could come down to the wire. [Read more 🡒]
Parker Washington Is Forcing A Big Jaguars Decision This Season
Parker Washington has spent three seasons quietly building his case in Jacksonville, and this fall he has turned into one of the more important pieces on the field. His production has climbed every year, and in a receiver room that has seen plenty of shuffling, he has become a steady presence for Trevor Lawrence while the Jaguars go through their practice work with players like Anton Harrison and Zach Durfee in the mix.
Washington also knows what kind of market the position has become, even if he says his focus stays on playing well. For the Jaguars, that creates an obvious next question as the season moves along: whether this late rise is enough to make him part of the long-term plan, or whether they will be forced to make a tougher call once the year is over. [Read more 🡒]