The Jaguars spent the offseason building out their depth, and Week 3 looks like the kind of game where that work has to show up. With the New England Patriots coming to Jacksonville, the margin for error is thin, and a handful of lesser-discussed players could end up carrying more weight than usual.
One place the Jaguars need a lift is at receiver. The passing game was off against the Broncos in Week 2, and part of the problem was getting the ball to the perimeter.
That was not on one person alone; the quarterback, receivers and offensive line all had a hand in it. But if Jacksonville wants to make a change, rookie Josh Cameron is a name to watch.
He had a strong showing as an outside receiver in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, then saw less action in Week 2. More snaps and more routes for Cameron could give the Jaguars a receiver who wins with tough hands, and he has already earned some trust in the offense.
Dennis Gardeck is another depth piece who may be asked to do even more. He has been lining up both at outside linebacker and as an edge rusher on third downs, and he has been productive while doing it.
Through two games, Gardeck is tied for second on the defense with four pressures, even though he is nowhere near second on the team in pass-rush snaps. After the Jaguars came away with zero sacks last week, his role on obvious passing downs could matter a lot.
But that starts with the run defense - Jacksonville has to win early downs first, and Gardeck should be part of that effort against a tough Patriots ground game.
The tight end usage is another piece worth watching, especially with Nate Boerkircher in the mix. I was skeptical the Jaguars would fully embrace the 12 personnel trend, even after taking him at No. 56 overall, but the first two weeks have shown a real shift.
According to NextGenStats, the Jaguars have used two or more tight end sets at the sixth-highest rate in the NFL at 45.0%, a jump from the ninth-lowest rate in 2025 at 24.9%. Jacksonville is also using heavier personnel on 61.8% of called runs, which ranks sixth in the league.
That extra size seems to be helping the run game, and it would make sense to lean into it against a physical Patriots defense. Boerkircher may not become a featured pass-catcher, but his blocking changes how Liam Coen can build the offense.
Caleb Ransaw is the final sleeper in the mix, and the sample size is still tiny - just a little over 30 snaps over the first two weeks. Even so, there have been encouraging signs.
He made a few strong tackles in space against the Browns in Week 1 and held up well in coverage on several plays against the Broncos. The question now is whether that turns into a bigger role.
That possibility matters here because the Patriots like to load the line with extra tight ends and a fullback, but their offense has been better in 11 personnel this season. On top of that, the Jaguars have been worse against shotgun runs than any other rushing attack. This could be a game where a third safety is needed, and Jacksonville will want Ransaw ready if that call comes.
In Other News...
Jaguars May Need A Trade To Fix This Defensive Problem
The Jaguars have already started circling a clear defensive need early in the season: more disruption from the interior of the line. With the pass rush sometimes forced to come from the edges, the middle of the defense has become an area worth monitoring, especially as the schedule starts to bring more tests that can expose a front that cannot consistently collapse the pocket from inside.
Bobby Brown, Moro Ojomo and Karl Brooks have all surfaced as possible trade options because each would address that issue in a different way, depending on fit and contract situation. For Jacksonville, the question is whether the right answer is already in the building or whether this is the kind of roster hole that pushes a team toward the trade market before the season gets any deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face An Early Worry That Could Define Week 3
The Week 3 matchup with New England comes with the kind of early-season hinge that can shape how the Jaguars are viewed moving forward. In a staff roundtable preview, the conversation centered on the players most likely to swing the game, with Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore and Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. drawing particular attention as potential difference-makers in a matchup built around pressure, timing and execution.
For Jacksonville, the concern is less about the broad outline of the opponent and more about how one or two individual battles could tilt the afternoon. Thomas is part of what the Jaguars need to function cleanly on offense, while Barmore represents the sort of disruptive force that can complicate everything for a quarterback and line trying to settle in early. The result is a game preview that feels less like a standard September check-in and more like an early test of how sturdy Jacksonville really is. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Bigger Week 3 Question Than Just Beating Patriots
Week 3 brings the Jaguars a familiar kind of test against the Patriots, but the bigger subplot is how Jacksonville keeps sorting out its own identity on both sides of the ball. Bhayshul Tuten has started to look like more than a change-of-pace option, giving the offense a dynamic rushing element, while Parker Washington has continued to provide steady production in the passing game. Defensively, DaVon Hamilton remains an important presence up front even as he deals with a back issue, and Ventrell Miller has emerged as the teams leading weak side linebacker.
Grant Udinski has already talked about Tutens development, which makes the rookies role one of the more interesting pieces to watch as the Jaguars head into this stretch. The Patriots will be the opponent on the schedule, but Jacksonvilles real question is whether these individual gains start to add up into a more complete week-to-week formula, especially with key contributors like Hamilton and Miller carrying bigger responsibility than they might have expected this early in the season. [Read more 🡒]