With training camp getting closer, the Jaguars’ offensive line has one obvious issue hanging over it: the run game has to be better.
That’s the central question for Jacksonville’s offensive line group as camp approaches - can this team become a more effective rushing offense in 2026?
The Jaguars’ offense caught fire late last season, putting up nearly 33 points per game during their win streak. But that surge came without a dependable ground attack to support it.
The numbers point to the problem. Jacksonville finished 27th in yards per rush, and from Week 10 on, there were five games in which Travis Etienne didn’t top 60 rushing yards.
Even then, Etienne was doing a lot of the work on his own. Of his 292 total rushing yards in those games, more than 78% came after contact, according to PFF. In other words, he was finding very little space before the defense got to him.
That’s the kind of run game that can stall an offense. It doesn’t have to be explosive every week, but it does need to produce steady positive gains. When it does, the offense stays ahead of the sticks, and that opens things up for Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence.
When it doesn’t, the offense gets pushed into obvious passing situations, and that’s where the defense has the advantage.
So as Jacksonville looks for another step forward in Year 2 under Coen, the offensive line’s ability to help revive the run game could end up being a major piece of the puzzle.
In Other News...
Jaguars Rookie Pass Rusher Is Generating Serious Camp Buzz
Zach Durfee arrived in Jacksonville as a seventh-round pick with the kind of profile that can get a rookie noticed quickly in camp, especially on a team that has not been shy about elevating unproven players who flash in practice and the preseason. The Jaguars have found value before by giving those guys real chances, and Durfee has already drawn attention for the athletic tools and pass-rushing ability that made him an intriguing developmental defensive end.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has seen enough to point out that Durfee brings more than just edge speed, and that matters in a defensive end room with established names ahead of him. Even with the depth chart working against him, there is a clear opening for a rookie who can keep stacking strong days in camp and then carry that momentum into preseason reps, where young defenders often make their first real case for playing time. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Turned The Jaguars Core Into A Heated Debate
A recent ESPN trade-value exercise put a spotlight on how much talent Jacksonville has assembled, and it started with Trevor Lawrence. Bill Barnwells list of potential trade targets also included Josh Hines-Allen, Brian Thomas Jr., Travon Walker and Travis Hunter, a reminder that the Jaguars have several players whose value around the league goes well beyond a standard roster discussion.
Lawrence drew the most attention because Barnwell viewed him as the kind of asset who could command a massive return despite the uneven stretches that have come with years of coaching turnover. The bigger question for Jacksonville is less about whether these names carry real market value and more about what it says when so many of the teams core pieces show up in the same conversation, even if the exercise is only meant as analysis and not a prediction of actual deals. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Hunter Enters A Franchise Defining Year 2 Spotlight
Travis Hunter is already carrying a familiar kind of weight for a player who has yet to settle into his second NFL season. Jacksonville made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft with the expectation that he would change games on both sides of the ball, and the Jaguars have made it clear that plan is still intact. After a season cut short by a knee injury, Hunter has spent the offseason preparing mentally and physically while the franchise keeps him on the path of playing cornerback and receiver.
What makes this year especially interesting is how much more will be asked of him on defense. Hunter is viewed as one of the leagues top 10 players under pressure entering 2026, and that spotlight comes with the usual draft-pick expectations plus the added burden of justifying Jacksonvilles aggressive investment. The Jaguars believe he can handle both roles, but the next step is proving he can turn that promise into consistent impact, especially with his defensive responsibilities expected to grow. [Read more 🡒]