Training camp always has a way of scrapping the neat little plans everyone builds in the offseason, and the Jaguars have already delivered a few twists before their Thursday joint practice with the Saints, their 11th official session of camp.
The biggest one might be Anton Harrison. He entered camp as one of Jacksonville’s key offensive linemen, right there with Cole Van Lanen, but the surprise has been where he’s lining up.
Instead of spending most of his time at right tackle, Harrison has taken the bulk of his reps on the left side. The last two weeks have been the longest stretch he’s worked there since the Jaguars drafted him in the first round in 2023.
Harrison opened camp at right tackle for a couple of days, then shifted to the blindside while the Jaguars kept waiting on Van Lanen’s recovery. That kind of workload on the left side doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s hard to imagine Jacksonville putting Harrison there so often unless it plans to use him there in a meaningful way this season. That’s a change from the pre-camp expectation that had Walker Little locked in at left tackle until Van Lanen came back.
There’s also a bigger financial angle hanging over all of this. Harrison is one of the Jaguars’ players next in line for a contract extension, and a move to left tackle could send his value soaring. It would also fit the profile of a player who spent his college days at left tackle and now has a chance to prove himself there in his fourth season.
Travis Hunter was always going to be a two-way player for Jacksonville this year. The surprise has been how quickly the Jaguars have thrown him into that role and how consistently they’ve used him on both sides of the ball.
There was at least some thought they might ease him in before Week 1, but that has not been the approach at all. He’s been operating at full speed since camp opened.
Even more notable is the way the Jaguars have handled his workload. Last year, Hunter sometimes worked at receiver and cornerback on the same day, but more often he was kept to one side or the other during a practice.
This camp has been different. He has worked both receiver and cornerback in every practice so far, which leaves little doubt about how Jacksonville sees him.
He is going to matter at wide receiver and cornerback this season, one way or another.
On the defensive front, the early pecking order has looked a little different than expected too. Going into camp, the thought was that Ruke Orhorhoro would be the Jaguars’ No. 3 defensive tackle and Danny Striggow would be their No. 3 defensive end.
Those spots still aren’t decided, but Matt Dickerson and B.J. Green have pushed themselves into the conversation.
Both are returning players who contributed last year, and both seem to have taken a step forward. Dickerson has earned real snaps with the first defense in team drills, while Green filled in for Josh Hines-Allen in the mock game a week ago and then went after the second-team offense all practice long, piling up multiple would-be sacks.
Special teams has brought another shift. Heading into camp, it made sense to think the Jaguars would search for new answers at kick returner and punt returner, especially with Bhayshul Tuten and Parker Washington expected to take on larger offensive roles. That possibility still exists, with Josh Cameron mentioned as another option, but the early signs point toward Washington and Tuten keeping those jobs in 2026.
Washington addressed that possibility directly last week: “I talked to Heath [Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Heath Farwell], and he said, ‘shoot, let's go.’ Yeah so, I'm just open to the opportunity, whatever it is," Washington said last week.
"Obviously, we'll get some more receiver play, but as I said, I want to come out here and be my best self. If that happens to be on return, shoot.
I feel like I've been studying that for a while now. Let's see if we can make some more plays.”
Plans can still shift based on health, preseason reps, or whatever else the roster throws at them, but right now Washington and Tuten look like the Week 1 return men. That wasn’t the expectation a month ago, but that’s where camp seems headed. Cameron could still make it interesting once the live reps start.
And then there’s Ameer Abdullah, who came into the summer as something close to an afterthought and has still managed to make himself impossible to ignore. He’s turned in several explosive plays and has stood out in a running back room that wasn’t expected to feature him heavily.
The Jaguars were expected to have undrafted rookie J’Mari Taylor pushing for the RB4 job behind Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and LeQuint Allen. Instead, Abdullah has emerged as the top backup behind that group. He has impressed enough to put himself in line for a practice squad spot.
In Other News...
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It is also a glimpse at where things are headed once the Stadium of the Future opens in 2028, since this menu is meant to preview the food-and-beverage model planned for that building. For now, fans still have some practical help on game days too, with outside food and sealed water bottles allowed under certain conditions, which should make the whole experience a little easier on the wallet. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Hunter's First Big Summer Test Gave Jaguars Fans A Reality Check
The first real test of Travis Hunters summer came in a setting that tends to sharpen every mistake and every encouraging sign. During a joint practice with the Saints, the Jaguars got an early look at how Hunter is handling the next stage of his development after recovering from a torn LCL and adding muscle in the offseason, with coaches watching closely as he gears up for his second NFL season.
The moment that drew the most attention was a single rep against high-level competition, the kind of play that can travel fast once it hits social media. Hunters physical progress was there to see, but so were the reminders that even a player with his talent is still working through the fine points against experienced NFL opponents, which is exactly why these summer sessions matter so much in Jacksonville. [Read more 🡒]