The Jaguars got exactly the kind of work they wanted out of Wednesday’s joint practices with the Panthers, and the biggest takeaways came from the trenches, the red zone, and a secondary that still has something to prove.
Start up front, where Ezra Cleveland kept showing why he has quietly become one of Jacksonville’s most important offensive linemen in camp. He’s logged reps at both guard spots and right tackle as the Jaguars have shuffled through a string of line combinations, many of them forced by injuries.
The latest look had Cleveland at right guard, and that’s where he looked most comfortable again. After what was arguably his best season with Jacksonville in 2025, he’s carried that momentum into camp, stayed available, and helped set the tone for both the offense and the run game.
He was one of the standouts against Carolina, and Liam Coen was clearly pleased with how Cleveland and the rest of the line handled adversity. Cleveland needs to be a starter at one of the guard spots when Week 1 arrives.
Trevor Lawrence, meanwhile, looked as sharp as he has all summer when the Jaguars got into the red zone. That’s been one of the cleaner parts of Jacksonville’s offense throughout camp, and Wednesday only reinforced that feeling.
Lawrence was surgical against Carolina, working subtle eye movement and pump fakes to create passing lanes and buy time for plays to develop. He barely missed all period, and the Jaguars looked like a unit that can really punish teams once the field shrinks.
With the weapons around him, the red zone has the look of a major strength.
The run game was a little more revealing. Jacksonville’s rushing attack has been uneven during camp, but the work against Carolina suggested the problem may not be as simple as it looks.
The Jaguars ran the ball well against a Panthers front with real talent, which matters. More than that, the contrast was obvious: things looked easier when Jacksonville wasn’t running into its own defense.
The Jaguars’ run defense appears to be elite, and that has made it hard for their own offense to get much going on the ground. Even so, the fact that they found more room Wednesday after getting very little all camp says something about just how good that defensive front may be.
Defensively, Josh Hines-Allen was the most disruptive force up front against Bryce Young. Travon Walker was right there with him, and the way the two of them worked together was hard to ignore.
Walker’s role seems designed to let him play off Hines-Allen, and that setup could be a big part of what makes 2026 a major year for him. He’s already a strong run defender, but his camp performance and projected role point toward a significant jump in production.
Wednesday’s joint work only strengthened that impression.
The one area that still leaves questions is the secondary. Across two joint practices, Jacksonville has faced Tyler Shough, Bryce Young, and Kenny Pickett and still hasn’t come away with a turnover.
Coen said after last week’s practice against the Saints that the defense had given up some explosive plays through the air, and that issue showed up again in the second half Wednesday. It’s hard to fully judge how pass rush and coverage will connect in a setting where quarterbacks can’t be touched, but for now the idea of an improved secondary remains just that - an idea.
The Jaguars will need to show it in Week 1 and beyond.
In Other News...
Jaguars Roster Fights Are Suddenly Getting Harder To Ignore
With preseason work turning toward Carolina and the backdrop of ongoing stadium construction, the Jaguars are getting a long look at the parts of the roster that rarely stay quiet in August. The most obvious fights are along the offensive line and at linebacker, where recent trades and signings such as Daniel Faalele and Timothy McKay have only added more names to sort through as the staff tries to settle the depth chart.
Injuries have made the picture even less tidy, and that has pushed the evaluation of backup quarterback options and rookie performances closer to the center of the conversation. With the 53-man roster deadline looming, Jacksonville is still searching for clarity in several spots, and some of these decisions could be harder to separate than the usual preseason cutdown talk. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Lawrence Decision Puts Jaguars At A Real Preseason Crossroads
The Jaguars are still weighing whether Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the first team will take the field in Saturdays preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, a choice that now feels more meaningful than a typical August tune-up. Liam Coen has left the door open both ways, pointing to recent injuries and what he has seen in practice as the factors shaping the decision, with the team still having more work ahead in practice and joint sessions before the regular season opener.
For a Jacksonville team trying to find the right balance between getting ready and staying healthy, this is the kind of call that can say as much about the staffs priorities as anything on the field. The final answer is expected within 24 hours, and whether Lawrence plays or not, the Jaguars are entering a preseason stretch where every rep seems to carry a little more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Tight End Battle Is Suddenly Putting Liam Coens Vision To The Test
Training camp has already started to show how Liam Coen wants his offense to look, and the Jaguars tight end room is one of the clearer signs. Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol, the teams two recent draft picks at the position, have both been worked into the mix as Jacksonville sorts out how much value it can get from a group that is being asked to do more than just fill space on the field.
Boerkircher brings a reputation for blocking, but there is also growing belief he can chip in as a receiver, especially around the red zone. Koziol offers a different look as a pass-catching threat who is willing to block, and that combination has already pushed veterans Quintin Morris and Hunter Long further down the depth chart. For a coaching staff trying to build a tight end rotation that fits Coens vision, the competition is starting to say as much as the playbook. [Read more 🡒]