The Jaguars head into the final day of their bye week with plenty to like, but the next stretch of the season is going to ask for more than just where they sit right now.
At 4-2 and alone in first place in the AFC South, Jacksonville is in solid shape. Still, if the Jaguars want to keep moving forward over the next few months, they need a handful of players to raise their level and help carry that momentum.
One of the biggest is Walker Little, who is now projected to start at left tackle after Anton Harrison’s season-ending injury. Little held up well against the Houston Texans in Week 6, even with the NFL’s best pass-rush duo coming after him in Houston. He has long shown he can be a productive blindside protector, and when you stack his career against Harrison’s, there doesn’t appear to be much separation between the two, if any.
That said, the Jaguars need Little to be at his best the rest of the way. They still have the Texans and other dangerous pass rushes on the schedule, and Little will be a key part of Liam Coen’s offense as Jacksonville tries to keep Trevor Lawrence on an MVP-caliber track.
The secondary is another area that could use a steadying hand, and Jourdan Lewis is right in the middle of it. With Montaric Brown expected back from a hamstring injury, Lewis is one of the more interesting pieces in that room. He has helped in the run game and already has two interceptions as the Jaguars’ primary nickel cornerback, but he has also been part of some costly plays in Jacksonville’s two losses.
More work is coming his way, too. Teams have clearly been steering away from Travis Hunter in coverage, which means Lewis is likely to see even more action. For the Jaguars to clean up their secondary issues, Lewis has to become more reliable and limit the chunk plays he has given up.
The pass rush also needs a lift from the middle. Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen continue to pressure quarterbacks off the edge, but Jacksonville’s rush becomes a lot easier to handle when the interior doesn’t add enough disruption.
That is why Armstead looms so large here. He has had games where he completely took over, and others where his impact has been much smaller.
If the Jaguars are going to crank up their pass-rush numbers as the season gets bigger, Armstead has to be a major part of that push.
On offense, Josh Cameron may be the quiet name with the loudest opportunity. If the Jaguars trade Brian Thomas Jr., Cameron will need to step up in a big way. Even if Thomas stays put, Cameron may still need to fill a larger role than the limited one he handled over the first six weeks.
He has already answered the bell every time the Jaguars have looked his way, and that trend has to continue. Cameron could be Jacksonville’s WR3 after the bye week, depending on how the team views Thomas and his place in the offense. If that happens, the sixth-round rookie wideout would have far more on his plate than he did early in the season, and the Jaguars need to know he is ready for it.
In Other News...
Jets Loss Puts Two Jaguars Coaches In A Suddenly Awkward Spot
The Jets latest loss to Miami has only deepened the uncertainty around Aaron Glenns future, and it has created an uncomfortable ripple effect for the Jaguars coaching staff. With Glenns record now under heavier scrutiny, the possibility of a midseason change in New York has put offensive coordinator Frank Reich back into the conversation as a possible interim replacement, a reminder that coaching movement elsewhere in the league can quickly reach back and touch Jacksonville.
Reichs name has surfaced as one of the most logical in-house options if the Jets decide to make a switch, and his situation is part of a broader look at seven potential successors should Glenns tenure end. For the Jaguars, it is the kind of subplot worth monitoring closely, because any shake-up in New York would not only affect the Jets immediate plans but could also shift the status of two coaches whose work is suddenly being viewed through a different lens. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Trade Deadline Push Comes With One Clear Limitation
With nine picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, including compensatory selections, the Jaguars have the kind of draft capital that can make them a real player as the trade deadline approaches. That gives general manager James Gladstone room to consider a move if a target makes sense, and he has already made it clear the team is open to exploring every avenue to improve the roster.
The bigger issue is financial rather than organizational. Jacksonville has only about $4.66 million in cap space, which limits how far it can go if the right player comes with a sizable contract, so any deadline pursuit will need to fit both the market and the books. In other words, the Jaguars have the ammo to deal, but not much margin for taking on salary, and that could shape what kind of help they can realistically chase. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Thomas Jr. Rumors Create A Real Jaguars Deadline Debate
Brian Thomas Jr. has become one of the more intriguing names floating around the trade market, but the Jaguars do not appear eager to entertain that kind of conversation. NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter both reported that Jacksonville is not currently interested in dealing the second-year receiver, even as his role in the offense has shrunk and his production has dipped from the strong rookie season that made him such a promising piece of the future.
The timing matters, too, because the Jaguars are 4-2 and sitting atop the AFC South as the trade deadline nears. That record gives the front office a chance to think bigger than just one players recent usage, especially with a team trying to balance the present push with the long-term value of keeping a talent like Thomas in place. The rumors may have started the debate, but Jacksonvilles stance suggests this is one of those deadline stories with a lot of noise and not much movement so far. [Read more 🡒]