The Jaguars’ preseason opener in New Orleans didn’t start cleanly, didn’t stay pretty for long, and still ended with a 24-20 win that came down to the final pass. With the starters resting, Year 2 of the Liam Coen era was always going to be about something bigger than the scoreboard: depth, development and a few roster fights that are already heating up.
There was plenty for Jacksonville to sort through. The pass defense was loose, the tackling was shaky, and the offensive line took another hit when Chuma Edoga left with an injury on the Jaguars’ first series and did not return. That unit is already missing Cole Van Lanen, who had offseason knee surgery, along with Walker Little and Patrick Mekari.
The most alarming part of the afternoon came at backup quarterback. Nick Mullens had a rough camp leading into Saturday, and the game did nothing to calm nerves. He opened Jacksonville’s first drive with a red-zone interception and finished 3 of 7 for 33 yards, never really finding his footing against New Orleans backups.
Carter Bradley gave the Jaguars more life once he entered, though he had his own growing pains. Late in the second quarter, he stared down heavily covered rookie receiver CJ Williams and was intercepted by Jayden Price, with the Saints turning that mistake into points two plays later.
Bradley settled in after halftime, however, hitting Hunter Long for a 1-yard touchdown and nearly adding another score when Trebor Pena dropped a perfect throw in the fourth quarter. Bradley ended 10 of 17 for 195 yards and looked noticeably better than Mullens.
Jacksonville’s defense and special teams also had to deal with some early mess. The Saints opened with an 86-yard kickoff return, then scored on the next snap when Audric Estime broke a 9-yard run after three Jaguars missed the tackle.
Still, there were some encouraging individual performances, especially from younger players trying to force their way into the conversation. Receivers Josh Cameron and CJ Williams both built on strong camp work.
Cameron got work as a punt and kick returner, added a 17-yard catch, and flashed with a 25-yard kick return. Williams caught a couple of passes, though he also had a drop, something that has not been common for him in camp.
Rookie defensive tackle Albert Regis made his presence felt with a sack of Zach Wilson in the third quarter, dragging him down for a 14-yard loss. Regis isn’t expected to start unless injury changes the picture, but he looks like a player who can fit into the interior rotation.
Undrafted rookie running back J’Mari Taylor kept making his case, too. Taylor handled most of the backfield work and finished with 78 yards on 22 carries, the most by any player in the game. His 2-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes left put Jacksonville ahead 24-20.
The secondary had a rough afternoon against Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson. Corey Ballantine struggled throughout, and Wilson hit Bub Means for a 37-yard sideline gain on third down late in the first half, a play that helped set up a field goal. Jabbar Muhammad had his own tough stretches in coverage before coming up with the play that sealed the result, swatting away Hunter Dekkers’ final pass in the end zone to Jalen Moreno-Cropper.
On the positive side for the defense, Yasir Abdullah turned in one of the day’s best all-around efforts while fighting for a depth linebacker job. He tracked down Barion Brown on a punt return for a 7-yard loss, then forced a strip sack of Rattler late in the first quarter.
BJ Green II recovered the fumble at the New Orleans 7, and that sequence led to a Cam Little field goal. Abdullah has flashed before without sticking for long, but Saturday was a strong step in the right direction.
Rookie safety Jalen Huskey also made a case for himself. He chased down Ty Chandler on the opening kickoff and stopped what would have been a touchdown at the 9, then added a pass breakup on Oscar Delp by jarring the ball loose. The Saints scored one play after that kickoff stop, but Huskey’s recovery effort at least prevented an even bigger disaster.
In Other News...
Travis Hunters Jaguars Role Just Got A Lot More Serious
Travis Hunters workload keeps climbing as camp moves deeper into August, and practice No. 14 brought his busiest day yet. He logged 37 snaps in team periods for Jacksonville, splitting five on offense and 32 on defense, while continuing to show why the Jaguars are determined to keep exploring both sides of his game. He even came close to hauling in a difficult pass on offense and made his presence felt on defense by breaking up multiple throws.
The bigger picture is hard to miss now, with Hunter already up to 70 offensive snaps and 137 defensive snaps in team periods this season. For Jacksonville, the question is no longer whether he can flash in spurts, but how much responsibility the staff is willing to keep stacking on him as camp wears on. His usage is becoming a real storyline for the Jaguars, and the next step will say plenty about where the team thinks he fits best. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Camp Buzz Is Suddenly Centered On One Rookie And A Problem
Day 14 of Jaguars training camp brought a little more clarity along the offensive line, where rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon looked solid against the starting defensive front. The session also had a different feel because of the injuries piling up, which left practice less padded than usual and gave the team a lighter, more controlled look as camp kept moving along.
Elsewhere, Travis Hunter again worked almost entirely on defense and continued to flash as a cornerback, while linebacker Branson Combs drew attention for his coverage work in 7-on-7 periods. Even with those encouraging signs, the broader camp picture still has an unsettled edge to it, especially with the roster taking hits at a time when the Jaguars are trying to sort out who can handle bigger roles once the contact ramps back up. [Read more 🡒]
Jabbar Muhammad Just Made The Jaguars Roster Battle Much Harder
Jabbar Muhammad has kept forcing his way into the conversation all summer, and his latest preseason moment only added to the noise around Jacksonvilles cornerback room. The second-year defensive back has been splitting time between nickel and outside corner, leaning on the same competitiveness and versatility that earned him steady praise from the coaching staff throughout offseason work and training camp.
The stakes for Muhammad are obvious because roster spots in the secondary rarely go to players who just hang around and hope. He arrived in Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent last year and has spent the time since trying to turn flashes into a real role, so every clean rep and every defensive play matters. A late stop in the preseason only sharpened the case, and it left the Jaguars with even more to weigh as they sort through a crowded battle for the final spots. [Read more 🡒]