The Jacksonville Jaguars came out of summer with more than just a better grip on Liam Coen’s systems and culture. Training camp also reshaped a handful of roles in ways that should matter right away when the Jaguars open Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
Some of the biggest shifts involved players who were already on the radar. Others came from the kind of camp rises that can change a roster’s entire feel. By the time the dust settled, five names stood out above the rest.
Travis Hunter is the clearest example. Exactly how the Jaguars use him once the games start is still something to watch, but the last few weeks of camp gave the strongest hint yet that his defensive role is about to be front and center.
Hunter spent more of his rookie season at receiver than cornerback, but that balance appears ready to flip this year. The Jaguars will still look for him to contribute to the passing game on offense, yet this summer marked the first time his usage leaned so heavily toward defense that CB1 now looks like the headline role.
Emmanuel Pregnon also changed the picture in a big way. The third-round rookie guard entered camp with the expectation that he would begin as a backup, and that’s exactly how things started.
He opened behind veteran Ezra Cleveland at left guard, even with Patrick Mekari out. But once injuries started hitting the offensive line, Pregnon got his chance with the first team and never gave it back.
He finished camp working with the starters even after the rest of the line had returned, and now he looks set to be the Jaguars’ only rookie starter in Week 1. There’s plenty of excitement about him inside the Miller Electric Center.
BJ Green made a similar kind of leap on the defensive side. Going into camp, he looked like one of the Jaguars’ better depth answers at defensive end, with second-year edge rusher Danny Striggow appearing to have the inside track for the No. 3 role.
That changed fast. Green had stretches where he was simply too much, showing up against both the Jaguars’ offensive line and opposing fronts in joint practices.
His burst and quick pressure give the Jaguars a different look in the pass-rush rotation, and he also took noticeable steps against the run.
Branson Combs turned a practice-squad path into a real defensive role. He was an undrafted free agent a year ago and spent time on the practice squad, but now he’s on the 53-man roster and in the middle of a battle with Ventrell Miller.
However that competition shakes out, Combs is going to play. He’s arguably the Jaguars’ best coverage linebacker, and that gives him a chance to split time with Miller next to Foyesade Oluokun.
That is a huge turn from where he was when the spring program began.
Ameer Abdullah rounded out the group by forcing his way into the running back mix. He entered camp as something of a long shot, with many - including me - thinking undrafted rookie J’Mari Taylor had the edge for the No. 4 job.
Instead, the Jaguars kept Taylor on the practice squad and gave Abdullah the roster spot. With LeQuint Allen injured and seemingly unlikely to play in Week 1, Abdullah could be part of the offense right away.
For a back who was not on many 53-man projections when camp opened, that’s a major climb.
In Other News...
Jaguars Just Got An AFC South Reality Check From Analysts
A recent NFL.com staff vote gave a clear early read on the AFC South, and it was not especially kind to Jacksonville. Of the 19 analysts polled on who would win the division, the Texans drew 15 votes, while the Jaguars got three, the Colts one and the Titans none. The reasoning leaned heavily toward Houstons defense and the upgrades it made to its running game, but Jacksonville still enters the conversation with a respectable case after a strong previous season and plenty of continuity heading into 2026.
For the Jaguars, the smaller number beside their name is less a verdict than a reminder of how crowded the division race can be when another contender checks enough boxes. The piece also folds in comments from analysts and coaches to frame what each club is bringing to the table, and that perspective matters in a division where one offseason can quickly reshape the pecking order. Jacksonville has earned enough credibility to stay in the mix, but the latest national snapshot says the path back to the top will not be an easy one. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Breakout Picks Could Decide How Far This Team Goes
Trevor Lawrence is once again being framed as the engine of the Jaguars offense heading into 2026, and that makes the surrounding cast impossible to ignore. If Jacksonville is going to make a real push, it will need the kind of layered production that turns promise into something sturdier, with Josh Hines-Allen anchoring the defense, Emmanuel Pregnon stepping in as a rookie starter on the offensive line and Travis Hunter handling the sort of two-way workload that has already made him one of the more intriguing pieces on the roster.
Hunter may end up being the wild card that tells the story of this teams ceiling. The Jaguars are counting on him to be their primary cornerback while also finding ways to use him on offense, a demanding path that could make him one of the seasons defining players if it all comes together. For Jacksonville, the big question is not whether the talent is there. It is how many of these breakout bets can hit at once. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Enter Week 1 With Less Flexibility Than Fans Might Think
The Jaguars head into Week 1 with only $3.62 million in available salary cap space, a figure that leaves them near the bottom of the NFL and gives the front office far less wiggle room than plenty of fans might assume. Jacksonville recently restructured Josh Hines-Allens contract to create some additional breathing room, and general manager James Gladstone has framed the move as a way to keep roster options open once the season starts.
Even then, the money is not sitting there purely for a midseason splash. The Jaguars need that space to handle routine in-season costs, including elevating practice squad players, which makes every dollar feel a little more spoken for before the first snap is even taken. For a team trying to stay flexible, the challenge now is less about what it can add and more about how carefully it manages what is already in place. [Read more 🡒]