The first two weeks of Jaguars training camp have already clarified a few things, and one of the biggest is this: Parker Washington keeps looking like a player the offense wants on the field.
Through nine practices, Washington has been one of the most consistent weapons in Jacksonville’s receiver group, routinely finding room against the cornerbacks and making plays at every level of the field. That matters in a room that already includes Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Travis Hunter and tight end Brenton Strange.
The talent is there across the board, but Washington has started to separate himself as the receiver who could become the true alpha in the passing game. He also looks like the kind of target who stays on the field when the Jaguars go to two- and one-wide receiver sets in 12 and 13 formations.
His contract situation is still unresolved, but camp has only strengthened the sense that he is too important for Jacksonville to let go long term.
The backfield picture has become a little clearer too, even if it still doesn’t point to one dominant lead back. The offseason conversation centered on Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr., but the Jaguars have shown through camp that both are going to play a lot. LeQuint Allen is also firmly in the mix, and he has emerged as the clear favorite to handle third-down work.
Trevor Lawrence made that case plainly on Sunday when he talked about Allen’s value in the passing game and in protection.
“Yeah, just great hands, good route runner. He's going to be in there because he's such a good protector, so I think the more we can do with him and getting him out on routes and concepts, the better for our offense. I know that he's capable," Trevor Lawrence said on Sunday about Allen.
"I remember watching his highlights and when we drafted him out of college and some of the crazy catches he had in college. So, we've seen him out here.
He's making plays. He had a good catch down in the red zone today.
If he can be a threat for us, it's real because he's going to be in on a lot of passing situations.”
Tuten and Rodriguez have been splitting reps closely, while Allen has taken the lead on passing downs. The shape of the room suggests the Jaguars are preparing to spread touches around rather than ride one featured runner.
Travis Hunter’s exact workload on offense and defense still won’t be known until Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, but the Jaguars have already made their intentions obvious. He has worked with the starting offense and the starting defense in every practice so far, which is a shift from last year, when he would spend most of a practice at one spot before moving to the other side later on. Jacksonville has made it clear it expects him to have a major role on both sides of the ball.
The pass rush has also started to look less like a concern and more like a group that may have been underestimated. The Jaguars entered camp with questions about their depth up front, especially on the edge, and those questions still have to be answered in games.
But the early signs have been encouraging. B.J.
Green has been the standout so far, Zach Durfee has brought steady pressure, Danny Striggow has continued to be dependable, and Ruke Orhorhoro has added juice as an interior rusher.
One more camp development points toward the offensive line taking shape, and it involves Anton Harrison. Everything seen so far suggests he will open the season at left tackle in Week 1, even though he has been a right tackle only since being drafted in 2023. Harrison has spent most of this camp on the left side, with Walker Little there for the first few days before Harrison took over before the Jaguars even put on pads a week ago.
That usage points to a real plan, not just a temporary experiment. If Jacksonville expected Cole Van Lanen to be available in Week 1, there would have been no need to keep moving Harrison over so consistently.
Instead, the Jaguars appear to have shifted their best offensive lineman to the right side, and Little’s recent injury may have only made the situation more urgent. One way or another, Harrison looks headed for a Week 1 start at left tackle.
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The timing makes it even more interesting for the Jaguars, who will also spend Aug. 13 in a joint practice with New Orleans before the exhibition game. Those two days should offer a cleaner look at how the offense functions with Udinski directing things from the sideline and how much of the system is ready for live reps. For a coordinator who had chances to leave but opted to stay in Jacksonville, the first preseason game is more than routine work. It is a chance to show what the Jaguars can expect when the offense is put in his hands. [Read more 🡒]