The Jaguars head into Week 1 with a roster that finally feels set, and the biggest developments from cut-down week weren’t just about who made the 53. They were about how Jacksonville is thinking through its depth, its contracts and its health before Cleveland comes to town.
One of the clearest messages out of the Miller Electric Center this week centered on Travis Hunter. Liam Coen and James Gladstone have made it clear they value Hunter’s ability to help the defense because of what he brings at cornerback and because of how the Jaguars’ receiver and cornerback rooms are built. Gladstone pushed that point again this week, and this time he did it even more forcefully.
Hunter is going to matter for the Jaguars regardless of where the snaps land. At this stage, it looks like he will get more work at cornerback than at wide receiver to open the 2026 season, and it would take a lot to change that. When the Browns arrive in nine days, Hunter is expected to be locked in as the starting cornerback opposite Montaric Brown.
The Jaguars also put a public marker down on Parker Washington. Gladstone said this week that the team would be open to negotiating a deal with the fourth-year wide receiver during the season. That matters for a couple of reasons.
It would have been easy to assume that was the plan anyway, especially after the Jaguars signed players such as Cole Van Lanen and Jakobi Meyers to long-term deals during the 2025 season. But Gladstone has backed up his words with action since arriving, and he was straightforward again here.
It also tells you Jacksonville is comfortable letting Washington play out at least part of the season without a new contract in place. There are plenty of ways his year could unfold, but in most of them he profiles as one of the offense’s more productive players. The Jaguars appear willing to wait and see that over a larger sample before making a move.
Up front, the release of Chuma Edoga on Sunday says something too: the Jaguars feel better about Wyatt Milum than they did a year ago. Milum did not win a starting job this summer, even though many expected him to. He had some momentum at right guard after Patrick Mekari’s injuries, but missed a few practices himself and was also moved out to tackle at times because of the issues elsewhere on the line.
Milum is still starting the year as a backup, just as he did as a rookie. The difference is that last season he was close to being a healthy scratch even when available, and he was nowhere near the first group of reserve options.
That has changed. Depending on Cole Van Lanen’s status, Milum could even be the swing tackle in Week 1.
A year ago, that kind of setup would have required a wave of injuries.
Quarterback depth is another area where Jacksonville appears to have done its homework. The Jaguars managed to keep Nick Mullens and add Quinn Ewers by working the roster in a way that gave them options behind Trevor Lawrence.
Trading a 2028 sixth-round pick for Ewers does not mean he is automatically the No. 2 quarterback right now. He could become that guy eventually, and he is under team control for three more seasons, but the Jaguars do not need him there immediately while he learns the offense.
The bigger point is that Jacksonville clearly liked its quarterback room enough to add another option. Mullens and Joey Aguilar are both on the practice squad, and the Jaguars wanted more insurance if Lawrence ever goes down. Whether Ewers backs up Lawrence against the Browns or not, the team has given itself more flexibility while keeping four quarterbacks under contract.
Health-wise, the Jaguars are in a much better place than they were a few weeks ago. At one point in camp, it felt like they were stacking injuries every day, especially on the offensive line. Now, the outlook is far cleaner.
There are no apparent concerns for Brian Thomas Jr. or Jakobi Meyers at wide receiver, which matters given how important both are to Trevor Lawrence and the passing game. Patrick Mekari missed all of camp, but the Jaguars seem to have found a workable combination with Emmanuel Pregnon at left guard and Ezra Cleveland at right guard. Mekari is expected back sooner rather than later.
There also seems to be at least a chance Cole Van Lanen is ready to play at right tackle, another useful development for a line with several moving parts. LeQuint Allen Jr. is most likely to miss the game, but otherwise Jacksonville appears to be in solid shape entering Week 1.
In Other News...
Jaguars Already Have Several Draft Needs Fans Should Start Watching
With the Jaguars still sorting out where their roster is strongest and where it needs real help, the next draft cycle is already starting to take shape around a few key spots. Running back, cornerback, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and linebacker all look like positions worth tracking, and that makes the college season a useful early scouting board for Jacksonville fans trying to get ahead of the conversation.
A handful of names are already surfacing as potential fits, including Jadan Baugh, Kelley Jones, Carter Smith, A.J. Holmes and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. None of that locks Jacksonville into a direction yet, but it does underline how many different ways the front office could approach the board, depending on how the roster evolves over the next several months. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Rookies Face A Telling Week 1 Reality Check
Eight Jacksonville draft picks and one undrafted free agent survived the first roster cut and now face the part of rookie life that actually matters: finding a role once the games count. The Jaguars initial 53-man roster gives the class a foothold, but it does not guarantee snaps, and the Week 1 matchup with the Cleveland Browns should start sorting out which newcomers are truly part of the early plan and which ones are simply carrying roster spots into September.
What makes the group interesting is the range of possibilities. Some of these rookies are positioned close enough to the top of the depth chart to have a real path to game action right away, while others will have to wait for injuries, special teams work or a change in circumstance to get on the field. For Jacksonville, the first week is less about celebrating the draft haul and more about learning how quickly that class can translate a roster win into actual impact. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans Wanted This Early
LeQuint Allen Jr. has been on the sideline since Aug. 18 with a soft tissue injury, and the Jaguars are still waiting for him to get back on the practice field. For a rookie running back trying to carve out a role early, every missed rep matters, especially this time of year when teams are sorting out depth, special teams value and how quickly a player can be trusted in game action.
Liam Coen did not offer much reason to think the opener is a lock, either, saying Allen being available for Week 1 would be a pleasant surprise. For Jacksonville, that leaves the conversation focused less on what Allen can do right away and more on how long the wait might last, with the team weighing whether it needs to plan for the start of the season without him. [Read more 🡒]