Training camp always has a way of sorting out who’s ready to roll and who still needs time to settle in. For the Jaguars, that first stretch of practices matters especially for a few defensive players who need to make an early impression.
The biggest pressure points on this side of the ball fall on three names: rookie defensive end Wesley Williams, linebacker Ventrell Miller and defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro. Each one enters camp with a different kind of urgency, but all three have a clear reason to get moving fast.
Williams is stepping into a defensive end room that will be driven by Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but that spot is going to be shared. The Jaguars are expected to rotate four or five players through the position, and Williams is one of the players projected to handle a meaningful role.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has already shown plenty of confidence in what Williams can do, especially with the variety he brings to the front. If the rookie can make an immediate impact, it could help shape how disruptive the whole defensive end group can be.
Miller’s situation is a little different. He has spent the offseason as the presumed starter at linebacker after Devin Lloyd’s departure, and he’ll open camp as the favorite.
But Branson Combs is waiting in the wings, and a slow start from Miller would only make that battle tighter. Miller already showed he can handle the moment last summer, when he and Lloyd were listed as co-starters on the team’s first depth chart before Lloyd eventually pulled ahead.
Now Miller is trying to repeat that kind of camp and hold off any challenge.
Campanile had praise for what Miller brings, saying, "I think one of the things he brings to our defense is a physicality in the run game and having been around a few guys like that in the past, I think we got a really good feel for how he fits in and how to use him and really trying to play within his strengths within the defense,"
Then there’s Orhorhoro, whose job is less about competition and more about impact. The former second-round pick gives Jacksonville a needed pass-rush element from the defensive tackle spot.
His numbers won’t wow anyone at first glance, but last season he played a bigger role and finished with four sacks and 30 quarterback pressures. He also ranked 51st out of 121 eligible defensive tackles in PFF’s pass rush productivity metric.
That interior push matters. The Jaguars need more consistent pressure from the tackle position, because a quick collapse in the middle can blow up a play before it has a chance to develop. If Orhorhoro can help create that kind of disruption, it raises the ceiling for the entire defense in 2026.
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